W I N D S O R
A letter to applicants from the Windsor cohort of Meds 2012 & 2013
Windsor, Ontario, situated on the Detroit River, is the southernmost city in Canada with a population of 220,000. It is the final stop on the Windsor-Quebec City 401 corridor. The city is connected to Detroit, Michigan with the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest trade border crossing in the world.
The City of Roses, Windsor boasts 3000 acres of green space with many beautiful gardens, including extensive riverfront park and trails such as the Ganatchio Trail, Dieppe Gardens and Jackson Park. Essex County bounded by Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie offers many outdoor attractions, including Ojibway Nature Reserve in Lasalle, and Point Pelee National Park in Leamington. Both harbour regional wildlife such as deer and birds, including migratory monarch butterflies. In Kingsville, Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens is renowned for its plant life. Due to its southern climate, Essex County is sprinkled with wineries, including the Pelee Island Winery, accessed via a ferry across Lake Erie.
Windsor and Essex County are brilliant gems of Canadian and American history. The city was first settled in 1749 mostly by French settlers, making it the oldest inhabited settlement west of Montreal. The first road in Ontario, now County Road 20, connected small settlements along Lake Erie from Windsor to Leamington over 200 years ago. Along that route is Fort Malden in Amherstburg, where the barracks still remain of British-American conflicts from the War of 1812. Essex County was the destination for African slaves from the United States seeking freedom through the Underground Railway. Windsor is also the birthplace for Hiram Walker’s, distillers of Canadian Club whiskey. Situated on the Detroit River waterfront, the company played a vital role in alcohol trade during American prohibition. Also known as the Automotive Capital of Canada, domestic automakers GM, Ford and Chrysler are three of the largest employers in the area. Their presence dates back to earlier than 1912 when the village of Ford City was established in Windsor’s east side.
Today, twenty percent of Windsorites are foreign-born. In fact, Windsor is the fourth largest multicultural centre in Canada. Famous for its Little Italy Erie Street dining experience, the city boasts a great palate of international cuisine, including Middle Eastern, European, and Asian cookery. Each year, Windsor hosts the Carousel of the Nations, which is two weeks of flavourful food and delightful entertainment from around the world.
Windsor has an extensive night life. Caesar’s Windsor Casino, newly opened in the Summer of 2008, sells out many top-notch entertainers such as Chris Rock, Celine Dion, and Ringo Starr. The city’s cultural scene includes the Art Gallery of Windsor, the University Players theatre group, the Windsor Symphony and many music cafes. With Detroit easily accessible via the Ambassador Bridge or Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, many Windsorites take advantage of the proximal shopping, theatres, concerts and sporting events. As a part of Canada Day and Independence Day celebrations, Windsor co-hosts the largest fireworks display in North America on the Detroit River.
Windsor has two hospitals:
Windsor Regional Hospital and its three campuses, and
Hotel-Dieu Grace. In Leamington, a rural centre 40 minutes from Windsor,
Leamington District Memorial Hospital offers services to its residents.
The University of Windsor and St. Clair College are the area’s major post-secondary education institutions. The University of Windsor newly acquired a satellite campus of the Schulich School of Medicine from the University of Western Ontario in September 2008. The four year program will help to address the physician shortage that has plagued the area. Medical students complete their pre-clerkship training at the University of Windsor, and fulfill their clerkship requirements at the Windsor hospitals.
