Windsor talk

[Symz]

Originally Posted by cbyrne2014

Another thought coming out of left field.:

I am curious if there is anyway to determine the demographics of various neighbourhoods in Windsor. Lately, I have been musing a community project that is targeted for seniors and that information would be very helpful.

I live in Old Riverside and though I am not a senior the area is plentiful with that demographic. Just take a look at the condos and assited living homes across from Reaume Park where the peace fountain is. If seniors are your target audience in Windsor, this area is your best bet in my opinion.

My second guess would be south Windsor.

[RoseCityFreePress]

Opening day in the motor cities Go Tigers!

[Symz]

More Smile art.

• Video Link

[Symz]

So my girlfriend told me the other day she read that Rona in the east end of Windsor is downsizing and relocating. So chalk up another empty home improvement centre, much like the empty Home Depot near Devonshire mall.

[Symz]

I wanted to start a new discussion about something that has urked me for a long time, but something that I'm sure will bring mixed feelings.

The topic of choice is Shanfield-Meyers downtown on Oullette & Chatham.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dciphotography/2514449681/


source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/1060979...n/photostream/


source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/cz/6157329540/


Shanfield's has been a fixture in downtown Windsor for ~60 years now, unbelievable I know. Mr. Shanfield passed a few years ago and I believe Mrs. Shanfield did too? Or if not she has moved away and if I remember from the last article I read on the place the daughter is down from Toronto trying to sell off the remaining assets in a 'Business Sale' (They had a Going out of business sale' sign but I believe there's a stupid bylaw that says you can only have a going out of business sale sign posted for a certain length of time). Anyways at the rate they're going it'll take another 60 years for them to sell off what they have left in the store.

Over the years this store has grown, mutated and taken over other nearby buildings to grow into 1 large mega nick-nack hoarders shop. They have spent no money maintaining the outside of the building, so I assume the same goes for the inside. The outside of the building does nothing to improve the look of downtown, as a matter of fact it's a dump. One portion of the building is covered in pigeon shit and looks terrible. The clock on the sign outside on Oullette probably hasn't moved since I've been legal to drink and I'm in my 30's.

This place is past it's prime and is nothing but blight in my eyes. It's time for it to go and maybe hopefully something relevant, more appealing and something more contributing to the fabric of a newer downtown will come along.

Anyone with me on this?

[Jacob]

well, strange as this may sound, i have never quite noticed this building but it does look like quite an eyesoar. Hopefully someone will but the building and put some small shops in there.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by Jacob

well, strange as this may sound, i have never quite noticed this building but it does look like quite an eyesoar. Hopefully someone will but the building and put some small shops in there.

It's across Oullette from the Paul Martin building. A new TD bank was built on the other half of the Oullette side of this block a few years ago (same time Patrick O'Ryan's was torn down).

source: http://www.internationalmetropolis.com/?p=830


source: http://windsorite.ca/2010/04/td-bank...ning-thursday/


You can see the Shanfield's building(s) and signage to the right of the block.

[Jacob]

That TD building looks gorgeous! I love glass buildings and i found that place on google maps street view. It's disgusting and run down. It should be torn down and replaced with something nicer, and with the way the city seems to be going lately, that may not seem like dreamer talk. I would expect to see a small office and maybe some kind of store going in there, and i wouldn't be opposed. It's a great spot for a business to set up!

[RoseCityFreePress]

It would be cool to see the site ripped down and developed into a few smaller shop style buildings. That or a nice tall tower

[Symz]

Originally Posted by RoseCityFreePress

It would be cool to see the site ripped down and developed into a few smaller shop style buildings. That or a nice tall tower

I think it's probably more likely that eventually when the buildings are sold they will be renovated into some sort of other businesses/pubs/restaurants. Most of the banks are settled in down there and mostly all the banks have new digs with the exception of CIBC (which has the prime frontal location at Riverside & Oullette), and BMO who's building is getting dated looking.

I would be fine with Shanfield's selling off the property and seeing some new pubs/restaurants opening up. Little places like that have great street presence and we have to hold on to that. There are some streets that have practically no street level interaction with pedestrians downtown.

Examples would be Pitt street, the whole thing. It's blah, boring to walk down, there's no liveliness.

Even the new banks, sure they're new and shiny, but they're boring to walk near because there's nothing interacting with the street, it's just a glass wall.

We need nooks, crannies, doors to go into, patios or mini patios. Take Coffee Exchange for example, it's a small place but man it's got great street presence in spite of it's tiny size. It's always buzzing with people, it's popular, it makes that area feel a little alive. Much like MILK, but that place is filled with what seems like unemployed hipsters who have all the time in the day to sit around, drink coffee and wax poetic about everything in life. lol

[Jacob]

Windsor firefighters are on scene in the 6500 block of Tecumseh Road East battling a major fire at Dollarama.

East end Windsor Dollarama on fire:
http://windsorite.ca/2012/04/photos-...n-fire-part-1/

Most of the plaza has burnt down. This includes the Dollarama, Pita Pit, teh dental office, Ming Wah's and Value Village.

[Symz]

I just saw this story.

I just want to say.

WTF IS GOING ON IN WINDSOR THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOO MANY FIRES IN THIS CITY THIS YEAR?????????

[Jacob]

Someone does not like windsor and they are secretly burning down the whole damn city, one building at a time.

There is a flicker set for this here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/western...7629417046126/

[Symz]

Now we get to drive by a burnt out dilapidated plaza for the next 2 years..

yay..

Catch ya tomorrow.

ps. btw I saw your comment on Windsorite.ca earlier.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Symz

I wanted to start a new discussion about something that has urked me for a long time, but something that I'm sure will bring mixed feelings.

The topic of choice is Shanfield-Meyers downtown on Oullette & Chatham.

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dciphotography/2514449681/


source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/1060979...n/photostream/


source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/cz/6157329540/


Shanfield's has been a fixture in downtown Windsor for ~60 years now, unbelievable I know. Mr. Shanfield passed a few years ago and I believe Mrs. Shanfield did too? Or if not she has moved away and if I remember from the last article I read on the place the daughter is down from Toronto trying to sell off the remaining assets in a 'Business Sale' (They had a Going out of business sale' sign but I believe there's a stupid bylaw that says you can only have a going out of business sale sign posted for a certain length of time). Anyways at the rate they're going it'll take another 60 years for them to sell off what they have left in the store.

Over the years this store has grown, mutated and taken over other nearby buildings to grow into 1 large mega nick-nack hoarders shop. They have spent no money maintaining the outside of the building, so I assume the same goes for the inside. The outside of the building does nothing to improve the look of downtown, as a matter of fact it's a dump. One portion of the building is covered in pigeon shit and looks terrible. The clock on the sign outside on Oullette probably hasn't moved since I've been legal to drink and I'm in my 30's.

This place is past it's prime and is nothing but blight in my eyes. It's time for it to go and maybe hopefully something relevant, more appealing and something more contributing to the fabric of a newer downtown will come along.

Anyone with me on this?

I'm with you on this one. This place is a mess and a huge disgrace to the downtown. They should just sell all that crap at auction, and close the place. I feel that this corner would make a great location for a big new restaurant, with a wrap around patio, done well. It would then connect the two areas on Chatham St. with clusters of eateries together, and help extend some life down Ouellette towards the river, where there are not any patios set up. I have no idea about their intentions though.

[north 42]

Originally Posted by Symz

I just saw this story.

I just want to say.

WTF IS GOING ON IN WINDSOR THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOO MANY FIRES IN THIS CITY THIS YEAR?????????

At least they're burning down abandoned, derelict buildings and crappy dollar stores, I hate those tacky shops.

[Symz]

Originally Posted by north 42

At least they're burning down abandoned, derelict buildings and crappy dollar stores, I hate those tacky shops.

They're just going to rebuild the plaza most likely..

[Symz]

Here's an interesting story about a job fair in Windsor!! Finally!!

For jobs in Edmonton..

This is the story of our city.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windso...r-windsor.html

Windsorites can vie for 30 jobs up for grabs this week. They just aren't in Windsor. They're in Edmonton.

Rolling Mix Concrete of Edmonton is in the Rose City looking for 30 truck drivers and heavy machine mechanics to join their company.

Patty Taverner co-owns Rolling Mix with her husband. She said there is a labour shortage in Alberta right now.

"There’s just too much work. The growth has caused us to run out of employable people. The work is there but we don’t have the people now," Taverner said.

Rolling Mix is a 17-year-old company willing to pay up to $40 per hour. The company is looking for Class A and D drivers.

She said she and her husband did their homework when looking for workers and picking Windsor to host their job fair.

"There are definitely people here who want work," she said. "We understood that there are people here who can drive."

Windsor has Canada's highest unemployment at 10.7 per cent.

"We figure it’s a good place to come pick guys up," said Keith Holloway, the fleet operations manager for Rolling Mix.

Anthony Christo worked at Ford for 13 years. He was laid off in 2008, went back to school for law enforcement and still can't find work.

"Locally, anywhere you look, they’re looking to hire through temp services or part-time. They're not really committing to workers," Christo said.

Christo is a married father of three. He and his wife have discussed moving.

"The kids aren’t too excited about it but you do what you have to do in these times," he said.

The job fair continues Wednesday between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn downtown Windsor at 430 Ouellette Ave.

"It was a little slow [Tuesday] morning," Taverner said. "But the people who have come through have been very interested and very willing to come to Edmonton."

[Blitz]

Shanfield's is an eyesore...it's great that they've been able to survive so long as a local business but they never invested into improving the appearance of the store.

Only part of the plaza burned down - Ming Wah and Value Village are fine. I've always wondered what the story is with the silo in front of that plaza.

[Jacob]

I have a feeling that eventually, all these people are going to be out in alberta and suddenly, there is not more oil left. Then what do all these people do? Most of the manufacturing and other high paying jobs are tied to the oil sands. Obviously these cities are diversified enough to survive but they will likely go through some pretty tough times if this happens. Sorry to go so apocalyptic, but it could happen

For the Dollarama thing, i am very angered by all the people that have said, "it's Dollarama, big deal, there are more in Windsor" or, Nothing of value was lost". Well first let me start by saying, yes, something of value was infact lost. 3 STORES. It is estimated there were more than a million dollars in damage. And that is only skin deep. Now there are a bunch of people who are suddenly, without any warning what so ever, without their jobs or even their businesses. That is a very big deal and i simply don't understand what people don't get about it. Of course they will rebuild, but how long will that take? It could take years.

As for the stores that didn't burn down, they suffered severe smoke damage and will likely be closed for several months. But yes, they are okay. People will be happy to hear Ming Wah's survived.