Online ambassador to Downtown Windsor, Ontario
Printhouse is celebrating their one-year anniversary by hosting a street BBQ at 510 Pelissier Street. It’s called Unity in the Community.
It’s free! And there’s going to be music provided by Windsor performer…KERO!
Watch this short video as I interview Dan Bombardier about his idea for the party in the middle of the construction zone.
There are places we simply drive past.
They aren’t a second thought because their prime function is housing people that worship in a way different from us.
Even though many call Central United Church, located at 628 Ouellette Avenue, their second home, many of us know it as the neighbour to Shoppers Drug Mart on the corner of Ouellette and Wyandotte.
A lot of these places feel like closed doors to us. Closed by our own lack of curiosity, or closed by our self-imposed restrictions.
The Open Doors Campaign, organized by church council member Dan Bryant, is a series of musical events aimed at trying to keep the church’s doors open by raising money from these concerts.
My blogger-friend Victoria Rose told me that she’d seen a concert there recently and it had been exquisite.
A Welsh tenor named Gwyndaf Jones, friend of Bryant, played there January 29th for $10.
Above: Gwyndaf Jones
That sentence might not hold any meaning for you, until you understand the phenomenal acoustics in Central United Church.
He didn’t use a microphone. He didn’t need one. If you watch the video tour below, you’ll see the majestic space, and imagine the sounds effortlessly flowing through it. He was joined by violinist Besnik Yzeiri, Sandra A Miller Radvanyi, and Alde Calongcagong on piano.
The idea of music taking place in a building that’s 104 years old is extraordinary to me. So much so that I plan on taking a closer look at the building itself in a future Salt & Roses segment with Neil Helmer. The 60-year-old pipe organ that can be seen looming over the altar is so prominent, it’s hard to look at it without imagining it calling to the heavens.
Bryant assures me that the intention of the church, (known to many as “What church?!) is going to hold a few organ recitals in 2010, which will be open to the public as part of the Doors Open Campaign. That alone has skyrocketed my interest. Also planned is a folk music series, aimed at getting an entirely different music-appreciating crowd inside of this audio giant.
The display sign out front will be displaying the next music event when it’s solidly booked in the church’s calendar. I will, for sure, be at the first organ recital. Maybe I’ll see you in this century-old, architectural, acoustic, heaven-sent building for some transcendent entertainment.
To inquire further about the church or their events, before the Salt & Roses episode highlighting this building comes out, go to http://central.mnsi.net or e-mail central@mnsi.net.
Yet another genuinely precious, mostly unknown, event-series in downtown Windsor. Tell someone this exists. Share this link with them!
And if you have a place you’re curious about downtown, and you’d like me to shine a light on it or the workers, or the owners, or the residents…send me an e-mail.
It all comes back to Windsor’s Community Museum when you bring up history in downtown Windsor.
Neil Helmer, local historian, took me to Windsor’s Community Museum to discuss the building’s storied history in connection with the War of 1812. We met up with curator, Madelyn Della Valle, who talked a bit more about the 1812 connection by showing us some of the current items on display within the museum.
We may visit this topic again in the future, as it is a massive section of Windsor’s downtown history, but we felt this video was a good start.
If you have any questions or comments about the information on this video, please leave it below or e-mail.
Also, if you have any suggestions of what Neil Helmer should feature on an upcoming Salt & Roses, let us know.
Windsor’s Community Museum is located at 254 Pitt Street West, and is wrought with amazing historical displays and artifacts.
Headline image courtesy of Windsor’s Community Museum portraying Francois Baby Farm with British Royal Artillery. eumX WO
Have you ever wondered what sits behind the “For Lease” signs in the windows downtown?
I’ve always thought that it’d be interesting to walk within those spaces and imagine new businesses flourishing behind those signs.
As a downtown entrepreneur, the curiosity these vacancies foster has lead to a new feature for the Downtown WO Blog called “Moving In”.
In the interest of showing a clearer vision of downtown Windsor, the WO Blog will attempt to better acquaint entrepreneurs with their property opportunities in the downtown.
One of the driving forces of entrepreneurship and new business flourishing is vision. When you can’t see inside a vacant storefront, you can’t imagine the possibilities. If the entrepreneurial mind can walk through a potential business space, it can envision the transformation of a shell into a viable vocation.
Over time, Moving In will offer short guided tours of downtown spaces for sale or for lease. The curiosity of a potential downtown property owner in Windsor or from out of town can be satisfied from your keyboard.
For our introductory piece, I was able to meet with Mark Lalovich of of RE/MAX Preferred Realty. Mark was a great host, taking time to show me a few spaces he’s listing. He knows what used to be in the spaces, what they were outfitted for originally, and what kind of use they would accommodate with little or no infrastructure overhaul needed.
We took a look at a third floor vacancy at 633 Ouellette Avenue, steps away from the intersection of Wyandotte and Ouellette. Everything about the property is on the video, including costs etc. Take a look.
Mark Lalovich can be reached at (519) 966-0444 or marklalovich@remax-preferred-on.com for appointments regarding any of the downtown properties he represents.
Thanks Mark for taking the time to show me around the spaces of future downtown neighbours.
We simply turned a handle and strolled into Windsor’s history.
It was a nondescript door in the basement of Windsor’s Community Museum. Blue.
Neil Helmer led the way.
He used to work there, so he was able to get a key for a little tour.
Neil is going to be a regular contributor to WO, as a local history lover and story teller of days gone by. The segment will be called Salt & Roses. Salt suggests aged deposits, underground. Roses inspires the idea of newness and fresh concepts.
Neil is currently a field archeologist and is a former exhibit curator for Windsor’s Community Museum. For over 10 years, he’s been working in the heritage field.
But I know him as the overly-knowledgeable downtowner that is constantly schooling me on all thing history-related in Windsor. So I asked him to help me out with a regular segment. Our introductory piece takes place in “The Fort”, which is the name given to the basement storage area of historic goodness.
We nosed around the columns to see what we could see, and then Neil remembered an artifact with which he has a personal connection. Watch the video to see what we found.
A look down the hall at Windsor’s Community Museum
The archives wall of containers holding Windsor ephemera
Col. John Prince of the 1st Essex Militia during the Upper Canada Rebellion peeks out of a box
Headline photo (top) of the Francois Baby House courtesy of Windsor’s Community Museum.
Chris Edwards, executive director of the DWBIA is bringing a film to Windsor on February 26th.
It’s called My Tale of Two Cities.
Chris is also bringing the maker of this film, Carl Kurlander. He had a hand in the making of St. Elmo’s Fire and Saved By The Bell.
The film is a true, heartfelt comeback story about Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It has been compared to Michael Moore’s “Roger & Me”, but described more like “Mr. Rogers and Me” by others. This film is funny, while reflective about returning to your hometown, and investigating what works and what doesn’t for a city. Some scenes of the film are in the video below.
Chris Edwards saw this film in Milwaukee recently, and felt like there was a kinship between Windsor and Pittsburgh. They suffered the fall of the steel industry, and climbed back into the fray through other means. Edwards felt that this film was something Windsorites needed to see to begin thinking about the future of Windsor.
The panel discussion following the film, “What Windsor Can Learn from Pittsburgh’s Comeback”, will be an opportunity to engage local idea-makers and doers, including Carl Kurlander, to investigate the problems and potential solutions facing Windsor. Below is a video of Chris Edwards describing the film, and who will be on the panel for the discussion portion of the evening.
This FREE EVENT is presented by the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association as part of our Re:Vision Downtown series. http://www.downtownwindsor.ca
Support for this project from the Windsor International Film Festival
FREE tickets available at:
Coffee Exchange – 266 Ouellette Ave.
Milk Coffee Bar - 68 University Ave. West
Pause Cafe – 74 Chatham St. West
Ray & Kim’s Super Convenience – 353 Ouellette Ave.
DWBIA Office – 474 Ouellette Ave. (or call 519-252-5723)
Doors open at 6:00 PM, with the show starting at 7:00 PM. First come, first seated…tickets are going fast!
According to friends at the fabulous local food blog, Windsor Eats, a free dinner buffet from 5pm until 9pm is being offered at The Loose Goose on February 16th!
Prime tasty offerings for a prime time of Winter Olympics coverage available on the three flat-screened TVs mounted above the bar. The first hockey game played by Canada will be shown on these TVs tonight. This generous feeding is part of their customer appreciation efforts, hoping to thank their regulars for all the support since their opening in September of 2009.
Listen to the interview I did with Angus, behind the bar, talking about what you can look forward to sharing.
Not all business blogs are created alike.
I thought it was simple work to go from design idea to homepage.
I was wrong.
The process from client-request to confirmation of design and workability is longer than expected. Particularly if you require your own look. Lots of back and forth, minds changing, trust, and compromise. These are the key elements dealt with when attempting to build and host a business blog.
Shane Potvin of Spotvin Creative and Toby Leftly of Accent Media are responsible for the design, execution, and hosting of the new Downtown WO Blog for the DWBIA.
I sat down with them in Potvin’s downtown entrepreneurial apartment space to discuss the steps taken to make a blog such as Downtown WO. We discussed the challenges facing business owners who choose to start business blogs. Finding an appropriate design is one thing, but taking it to someone who can execute the design properly by manipulating blogging software online is another.
To hear their thoughts on business blogs, and how designers work together to make all the right pieces fit together online, watch the video interview below.
Norm Ackland is a performer and organizer for Dinner with The King and The Crooner happening on February 13th, 2010 at The Masonic Temple on the corner of Erie Street and Ouellette Avenue.
For more details, watch the video below explaining the event, and visit their website, www.masonictempleballroom.com
And enjoy these photos of the Masonic Temple ballroom where the event will be taking place.
A view from the microphone
Wood detail on the bar
Panorama of the Masonic Temple Ballroom
Light fixture in the Masonic Temple Ballroom
Norm Ackland receiving phone calls for tickets during the interview
The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association is proud to present the Downtown WO Blog.
WO is short for Windsor, Ontario. “Whoa!” is also the natural reaction you’ll have when you visit this site and discover a new aspect of downtown, reinventing your perception of Windsor’s core business district.
Read new and untold stories about downtown Windsor that highlight the best parts of this unique business community, its patrons, and residents.
Regular features will find their way into the mix with emphasis on downtown Windsor’s businesses, entrepreneurs, residents, events, festivals, history, and more.
Several posts per week will include live streaming, video, audio, photography, and print which will guide you through the reconnection process with this special section of Windsor. Visit often to see what’s new.
We hope that you, the reader, will share your stories of downtown Windsor, and suggest ideas that we should track down and put in the spotlight. Send suggestions to info@downtownwo.ca.
Mostly, we’re excited to show you the true faces that make this diverse core continue to operate with a steady vibrancy.
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