Windsor

Introduction

The southern most city in Canada, and one of the few places in Canada where you can travel directly north and wind up in the continental USA, Windsor is best known for its lively downtown that attracts Americans from across the River in Detroit, drawn by the lower drinking age and strip clubs. But Windsor also provides 180 parks, 64 kilometres of hiking trails and a 5-kilometre stretch of riverside park, offering some amazing views of the Detroit skyline, and has a place in history as being the end of the underground railway, the trail the refugees from slavery in the USA followed to freedom.

Sights and Activities

Sights

• Caesars Windsor - this casino and hotel complex offers gaming machines and tables for those willing to take a gamble. The casino is located in downtown on the riverfront.
• The Art Gallery of Windsor - Located by the Ambassador bridge, the Art Gallery contains 3000 works of art, including paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, illustrations, and videos. All works are relevant to our Canadian cultural heritage, and covers the period from about 1750 through to the present day. Admission is $3.00, and the gallery is open Wednesday - Sunday.
• The Odette Sculpture Park - shows 28 large-scale contemporary sculptures by world-renowned artists. The park is located on the shores of the Detroit River and is part of the Ambassador and Centennial Parks, between the Ambassador Bridge (Huron Church Road) and the Art Gallery of Windsor (Church Street).

Activities

• See the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League play at The Windsor Arena located in downtown Windsor. Nicknamed "The Barn," the arena is the oldest operating facility in the Canadian Hockey League.

Events and Festivals

• Windsor co-hosts the two-week-long Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival along with Detroit, USA, which culminates in a fireworks display to celebrate Canada Day and the American Independence Day.

Weather

Windsor has a humid continental climate. Summers from June to mid-September see average highs of 24-28 °C with lows of around 14-17 °C. Winters from December to February have highs around zero and nights between -5 °C and -8 °C. The alltime high and low are 40 °C and -29 °C! Precipitation averages around 900 mm a year with rain falling quite constantly throughout the year, summers being somewhat wetter. Snow is possible from the end of October to the beginning of April, though tends to concentrate from December to February with around 30-35 centimetres a month.

Getting There

By Plane

Windsor has a very small airport in the south of town (airport code: YQG). The only scheduled service is provided by Air Canada's regional carrier Jazz to Toronto. There are charter flights out of Windsor to sun destinations that run seasonally. Travellers wishing to take public transit to downtown Windsor can take Transit Windsor's bus route 8. Taxis are available to downtown Windsor just outside the airport door, and the cost will be approximately $20 - $30 (taxis are metered).

Travellers can travel into Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (airport code: DTW), but may need a visa for the USA, and will have to cross the border by land.

By Train

Windsor is the eastern terminus of the Via Rail Quebec City-Windsor corridor, and offers numerous services daily to Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. Passengers can transfer trains to travel to Niagara Falls, Buffalo or New York.

The train station is located at 298 Walker Road, approximately 3 kilometres from downtown. Public transit is to downtown Windsor on the Transit Windsor's bus route 2. Buses run approximately every 20 minutes until 6:00pm, and then every 40 minutes until 1:20am.

By Car

The Detroit/Windsor Tunnel

© norest4me

Windsor is located at the southern end of highway 401 ("Trans-Canada highway") for travellers coming from the east. Travellers from the USA can either cross the Ambassador Bridge or through the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.

By Bus

Intercity Bus Service
The downtown bus terminal, shared by Greyhound Lines and Transit Windsor, is located at 44 University Street East in downtown Windsor.

Tunnel Bus from Detroit
The Windsor Transit Tunnel Bus runs between Detroit and Windsor approximately every 20 to 30 minutes. The regular Tunnel Bus operates a short route from Windsor to downtown Detroit, including Cobo Center/Arena, Joe Louis Arena, Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, before returning to Windsor. During special events, the bus runs to Ford Field and Comerica Park.

Proof of citizenship is required when crossing the international Windsor-Detroit border, and international travellers should check the entry requirements to the USA and Canada to ensure they are prepared. Tunnel bus service costs $3.75 for the regular route, or $4.00 for trips to Comerica Park & Ford Field on special occasions, payable in either Canadian or US funds.

The Tunnel Bus schedule is available at the Transit Windsor website, though travellers going from Detroit to Windsor should note that the bus cannot wait at Tunnel platform, and so travellers are advised to arrive early. The platform for boarding the bus in Detroit is behind the Maritimes Sailor's Church on Jefferson at the entrance to the tunnel.

Getting Around

By Public Transport

Transit Windsor provides bus service from the airport and train station to downtown Windsor. Check the website for routes and schedules. Single rides cost $2.35 (excluding the "Tunnel Bus").

Learn

• University of Windsor

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet usage is wide-spread in Canada. Wi-fi is available in many locations in larger cities, sometimes free and sometimes at a cost. You will find Wi-Fi in coffee stores, some restaurants and also hotels and motels more and more offer this service for free, but with a code usually. Internet cafes are common along major streets, and and in larger cities, charge between $3 and $4 for an hour, usually in 20-minute increments.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Canada is: 1. To make an international call from Canada, the code is: 011. Emergency services can be reached by dialling 911. This number will give you free access to Police, Fire and Ambulance services and can be used from landlines, phone booths and cell phones.

The populous areas of Canada along the border with the USA have excellent cellular and wired telecommunications, meaning that travellers are never fair from an international phone call home, a WIFI connection or an internet cafe. Depending on the mobile phone provider, coverage could be either CDMA and GSM coverage. Travellers wishing to purchase SIM cards for GSM phones should look for Rogers Wireless, Telus Mobility and Bell Mobility, which all offer nationwide availability.

Post

Postal service is provided by Canada Post, a crown corporation owned by the government but run as an independent business. Most post offices keep hours from 9:00am to 5:00pm though in bigger places longer hourse might be available.

To format the envelope of a letter sent within Canada, put the destination address on the centre of its envelope, with a stamp, postal indicia, meter label, or frank mark on the top-right corner of the envelope to acknowledge payment of postage. A return address, although it is not required, can be put on the top-left corner of the envelope in smaller type than the destination address.

The lettermail service allows the mailing of a letter. The basic rate is currently set at $0.63 for one standard letter (30 grams or less). The rates for lettermail are based or weight and size and determine whether the article falls into the aforementioned standard format, or in the oversize one. The rate is the same for a postcard. Mail sent internationally is known as letterpost. It can only contain paper documents. The rate for a standard letter is of $1.10 if sent to the United States, and $1.85 if sent to any other destination. Oversize or overweight letters may be charged a higher fee. Larger parcels can be shipped via Canada post both domestically and internationally, the rate is dependent on the weight and destination. ^[1]

Federal Express, TNT, UPS or DHL also provide interntional shipping from Canada and are usually very quick and reliable though might cost a little more compared to Canada Post.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website