Windsor is a city on the water. It is situated along the banks of the Detroit River in the heart of the Great Lakes. It is also the southernmost city in Canada.
With Detroit, Michigan just across the River, Windsor with its population of close to 211,000, provides easy access to big-city advantages, while residents also enjoy the tranquility and affordability of a small, friendly and welcoming community.
Need an alternative to a car for getting around Windsor? Transit Windsor operates public transit service for the City of Windsor and also offers direct service to downtown Detroit, Comerica Park, and Ford Field via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
There are three main terminals that act as hubs for public transit:
• Windsor International Transit Terminal (downtown) – Nine (9) transit routes utilize the downtown transit terminal;
• College Avenue Community Centre (west) – Five (5) routes operate from this terminal;
• Tecumseh Mall (east) – The following four (4) routes provide service to this shopping destination;
Approximately 75% of Transit Windsor buses are accessible with No-step entrances and deployable ramps. For persons with physical disabilities which affect their mobility and who are unable to use public transit, Handi Transit provides curb-to-curb bus service.
The Windsor ViaRail station is one of Canada’s busiest in terms of passenger volumes and provides residents of Windsor with easy access to Toronto, Ottawa, Niagara Falls, London, Kingston, Sarnia.
Intercity passenger Bus service is available through Greyhound Bus Lines which operates out of the Windsor International Transit Terminal (downtown – 300 Chatham Street West). This terminal is shared by Transit Windsor and Greyhound Canada.
Highway 401, the main east west highway through southern Ontario, ends at Windsor and is a primary way of driving to other parts of the Province. Windsor is connected to other parts of Windsor Essex area via Highway 3.
Looking to travel to and from Windsor to Detroit? You can either go over the Detroit River via the Ambassador Bridge or under the River via the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel.
Windsor International Airport provides flights to Toronto international Airport, as well as to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The Detroit Metro Airport is another option for international travelers and is located about 40 minutes away from Windsor.
Robert Q provides shuttle/ground transportation services to and from Windsor and Detroit Metro, London International and Toronto’s Pearson International Airports.
Windsor has two hospital facilities to meet the health care needs of residents: Windsor Regional Hospital (Ouellette Campus and Metropolitan Campus), and Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.
Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) is one of the largest community non-academic hospitals in the Province of Ontario with over 650 beds. It is the key provider of Acute Care and Emergency Services for Windsor/Essex. WRH operates from two main sites: the Metropolitan Campus and the Ouellette Campus.
• The Metropolitan Campus is located at 1995 Lens Avenue.
• The Ouellette Campus located at 1030 Ouellette Avenue.
Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) provides both specialized inpatient beds and outpatient residential beds, as well as outpatient and community services covering Rehabilitation Services; Specialized Mental Health & Addictions; Complex Medical and Palliative Care; and Children and Youth Mental Health Services. Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is located at 1453 Prince Road.
Looking for non-hospital based services such as walk-in and after hours clinics? The Windsor Essex Health Unit, The Windsor Regional Hospital, and Ourwindsor.ca all publish lists of urgent care centre, walk-in clinics and after hours clinics in Windsor.
Want or need help finding a doctor who is accepting new patients? The Windsor Essex County Health Unit provides links to resources that may help.
Have children? Not sure where to look to find out about schools? In Windsor, elementary and secondary schools are governed by four school boards:
• Greater Essex County District School Board (Public English Board);
• Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board (Catholic English Board);
• Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence (Catholic French Board);
• The Conseil Scolaire Viamonde (Public French Board).
Windsor also offers a number of private schooling options from junior kindergarten through to high school.
Looking to further your education, or professional career?
The University of Windsor offers broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs including several professional schools such as Law, Business, Engineering, Education, Nursing, Human Kinetics and Social Work.
The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University offers its complete undergraduate medical program at the University of Windsor. The Doctor of Medicine Program runs simultaneously at the two locations. Windsor students are officially Western students, while also holding “affiliate” University of Windsor student status.
Windsor is also home to St. Clair College. The main South Campus, which is located at 2000 Talbot Road West, offers over 100 advanced diplomas, degrees and graduate certificates focused in Health, Technology, Business, Media Arts and Social Sciences.
St. Clair Colleges’, Centre for the Arts located downtown at 201 Riverside Drive West, offers programs in Advertising, Graphic Design, and Hospitality Management, and a suite of Justice Services’.
Windsor boasts having approximately 2,500 acres of green space within its 209 parks. With gardens, sculptures, numerous monuments and fountains, sport fields, play units, and picnic areas, outdoor fun is readily at hand. Walking, running, or biking along the scenic Detroit Riverfront is a favourite past-time.
Interested in the arts?
Theatre and concert events are offered all year round. Listen to a concert by the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, see one of the star-studded performances at Caesars Windsor Coliseum or catch plays and musicals at venues like the Chrysler Theatre at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts.
Take a trip to the Art Gallery of Windsor to view and explore some of the 4,000 works of art or take stroll through The Odette Sculpture Park: a museum without walls on the shores of the Detroit River. Windsor’s art community has something for everyone.
From arts festivals like Art by the River and Art in the Park to Bluesfest, a premiere blues event on the Windsor waterfront, to Carrousel by the River, the Ford Fireworks and Children’s Fest, there are a host of year-round activities and events that make Windsor a great place to live and work.
Check out the The City of Windsor Activity Guide that highlights things to do and see for residents of all ages, Tourism Windsor Essex, or the City of Windsor for a more complete listing of things to see and do.
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