Riverfront revamp: Windsor's historic streetcar unveiled, park named for former mayor

Windsor Morning8:04Windsor's mayor prepares for unveiling of restored streetcar he championed

While the relationship between Canada and the U.S. is strained on many fronts, Windsor and Detroit's shared riverfront remains a certainty.

Both municipalities are seeing new, significant landmarks pop up along the river's banks.

Thursday marked the official opening of the Michael D. Hurst Legacy Park and Beacon along Windsor's waterfront. The new space, located off Riverside Drive West near Caron Avenue, is named after Mike Hurst, the city's mayor from 1991 to 2003, and a city councillor before that.

Work on the park has been underway since the start of summer 2023. The accompanying building houses streetcar No. 351, which served Windsor's riders nearly a century ago, and a historical exhibit.

It's believed the electric streetcar was built in Ohio in 1918 and later purchased by the Sandwich, Windsor and Amherstburg Railway in 1926. It's 15 metres long and almost 11,000 kilograms.

Bernie Drouillard, a local railway historian, is credited with discovering the streetcar nearly 20 years ago in Belle River. A cottage had been built around it, concealing its identity to the untrained eye. 

Since then, it's been fully restored, and now sits in the beacon building next to the original railway tunnel.

"This had been a dream for us," Drouillard said Thursday.

"This streetcar is a relic from Windsor's past — one of those unique artifacts that is important because it is truly authentic to the city of Windsor's history," said Mayor Drew Dilkens.

The cost of the Legacy Beacon project has risen steadily since council gave it the go-ahead in 2017 — coming in at $10.3 million. It features a large patio overlooking the river, as well as a concession stand that serves snacks and a range of cold refreshments, including local brews and wines.

Back in 2020, city council approved a budget of $7 million for the riverfront project, which at the time was going to be closer to the Ambassador Bridge. But complaints over river sightlines prompted council to change the location.

"This has survived the test of three city councils, and we've been crawling through the glass to get this beacon built," Dilkens said with a smile Thursday. "But we got it through." 

WATCH | Streetcar No. 351 preview from Enwin Utilities:

He said when the city discussions first occurred about what could be done with the streetcar, it wasn't clear what they were going to do.

"It was important to find a new life for the streetcar, and to write a new chapter for it in our community."

Hurst, the park's namesake, was emotional Thursday as began his speech.

"I can't believe I'm being given so much credit," he said. "Stunning"

Not everyone was happy with the new facility, however. "I'm very upset that we don't have a playground here anymore," said Kseniia Semnova, who lives nearby. She also questioned the cost and need for such an historical exhibit. "But I hope the public likes it."

Outside the building, a handful of protesters dressed in dark clothing stood holding posters shaped as tombstones with messages such as "RIP transit" and "RIP tunnel bus." 

One of them was Joshua Sankarlal, director of advocacy for Activate Transit Windsor Essex, who said the group was talking to passersby about the project's price tag.

Thursday morning's unveiling was followed by guided tours, according to the city. Tours will continue through Sunday as well as live entertainment.

"I'm so proud of our history, and you should all be proud of our history too," Dilkens said.

"We are Canada's automotive and automobility capital, and whatever the guy on the other side of the river decides to do, that's not going away," Dilkens added, referencing U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war.

Detroit waterfront site reimagined

Across the river, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park has also been years in the making, and is expected to open this fall.

The nine hectares of land sit along the riverfront between the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit's downtown. It connects the east riverfront to the west riverfront. 

The Detroit River Conservancy purchased the property in 2007 and construction started in 2022 with an official groundbreaking.

A landscape architect for the project says a key focus throughout the design process was for the park to illustrate a strong connection to the river and its uniqueness to southeast Michigan and Ontario.

"We wanted to make a design that took advantage of the long views up and down the river as well as across," said Nate Trevethan from Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates.

"If you were a kid growing up in the region and you didn't have the ability to get to some of the … outer parts of the Great Lakes, you could have an experience of the Great Lakes right within your city."

Trevethan says young kids and teenagers were also kept top of mind when they were designing and consulting with the community.

The park is roughly divided into different areas.

One is a play garden highlighting animals from the region such as bears, otters and beavers.

Another area in the park is a sports facility including two basketball courts.

"It's covered but it doesn't have walls," said Trevethan.

The other key parts of the park are a water garden and downriver large hill — a place to sled in the winter but something that can be used in all four seasons, he said.

Knitting all of those areas together is a "serpentine cherry tree walk."

"Typically the waterfront edge in Detroit is … kind of hard and linear and we were trying to do something different that will kind of help you to experience the park in a new way and the water's edge in a new way."

Trevethan says a difference most people from the region will notice right away is the removal of the concrete bulkhead along the length of the park.

"That was pretty intentional, both for just making a more natural shoreline to the river, but also for maintenance."

He said looking across the water from Windsor, you'll also quickly notice large animal statues peering over the landscape and the topography of the land.