Exploring Windsor, Ontario: Willistead Manor

After a good nights sleep at Argyle Manor B&B in Windsor I woke up early on October 17, 2008 to interview my hosts, Dr. Paul and Kerri Thomas. I found out that Dr. Paul Thomas is a retired university professor in human kinetics and a renowned expert in ergonomics. Both he and his wife have been involved in competitive sports for many years and Dr. Thomas still coaches basketball at a local private high school and his children are actively involved in high level sports.

Breakfast was fabulous and included a fruit salad, freshly baked muffins made from self-rising flour and ice cream (the flavour was double-churned strawberry) as well as a garbage bag omelette (omelette ingredients that are placed in a clear plastic bag and boiled in hot water).

I had a couple of hours before my planned border crossing to Detroit, so I took a walk in the surrounding Walkerville area, a historic neighbourhood that was developed by Hiram Walker, the distillery owner of Canadian Club Whiskey fame. The distillery began operations in 1856 and Walkerville was originally a housing development for workers at his distillery. It also featured a number of upscale mansions for managers at Hiram Walker. The workers townhouses were built from 1858 onwards and are still in great shape today.

My stroll in the neighbourhood continued to Willistead Manor, the original mansion of the Walker family that today is a city park. The mansion was built between 1904 and 1906 and was designed by renowned Detroit architect Albert Kahn and is surrounded by coachhouses and a large estate.

After saying goodbye to the Thomas I briefly stopped at the Hiram Walker & Sons distillery on the bank of the Detroit River, east of downtown Windsor. Today Canadian Club Whisky Company is part of the Pernod Ricard beverage empire. The Heritage Centre is a gorgeous early 19th century red brick Italianate building that provides guided tours of the Canadian Club facility.

With my tight schedule of course I had to move on since I still wanted to see the waterfront and the Odette Sculpture Park which features more than 31 large, internationally renowned contemporary sculptures. The views of the Ambassador Bridge and of downtown Detroit from the Windsor waterfront are simply astounding.

Well, it was time to cross the border now. Punctually at noon I rolled through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel to start my Detroit adventures.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Canada
• Ontario
• Windsor
• Argyle
• Manor
• Bread
• and
• Breakfast
• Hiram
• Walker

[electricavenue5]

i attend walkerville, amazing school.

[crazycanuckpoker]

Evoke1988,,,,no use in arguing with godzilla003,,,this clowns life is empty and has no flavor,his tastes have been numbed by addictive use of the crack pipe,his feeble minded childish remarks are the recourse of drug abuse,,,

[stladsltd]

awesome!

[Oreocookie25]

Good Video Keep it up :)

[steph5504]

Actually Kingsville,ON is the most southern town in Canada!!:P:P btw what a cool place

[TheUsualSuspect77]

Moving to Windsor New Years, Can't Wait!!!

[girllove1001]

I agree with you 100% crazycanuckpoker. I live in Windsor and love it! godzilla003 must have it really hard to live, I am sorry that you are so negative. I really feel sorry for you godzilla003, would you like a number to a doctor or something to make you feel better?

[cutiibabii83]

YEEEEEEEEEE !

windsor ;D

[894friends]

windsor :P

i live there :P

[padmasanaa]

@AAsniper14 By the sound of you're name your a nerd faggot that never gets outside. I live in this fucking city. I'm downtown every weekend, I'm on the west end and east end. You don't know shit, maybe if you got outta your house and walked around you'd see how nice of a place it is.

[jakeou812]

willistead manner was a nice house i used to cut through there to go to the job i used to have but windsor its self is a shit hole of city and i blame the local polliticians for that i left there 20 years ago hoping to return there but it never gets better it gust gets worse so thats why i think its a shit hole everyones entitled to an opinion and this is mine so if you dont like it fuck off