Gateway
Public Park of Windsor
PHOTO GALLERIES
2015: Urban Renewal Projects By Jack Renner

Volunteers-
2007
Work-In-Progress-
2007
Work
to be Done -
2008
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A
People Place
As
Gateway Public Park of Windsor began to take shape, people
from the surrounding community were drawn to its peaceful
setting to enjoy the flowers and the magnificent view of
the Detroit River.
Soon
it was not uncommon for people to seek out the garden as
a perfect spot for a workday lunch, to exercise with friends
or have wedding photos taken.
As
the park grows, it is hoped that it will also become a
popular picnic spot for families, a venue for outdoor concerts
and a haven for our four-footed friends. |


View Latest Urban Renewal Project By Jack Renner here
In 1999 CP Railway agreed in principal to allow the City of Windsor
to convert an abandoned railway cut beside Cameron Avenue, from
Riverside Drive to Elliot Street into an international garden,
honouring Windsor’s twin cities around the globe.
Some cleanup work was done, park benches were installed and several
flowering cherry trees were planted thanks to a donation from the
Consul General of Japan.
But the entranceway, the land on the corner of Cameron and Riverside,
remained a barren, unattractive, yet highly visible empty lot.
In 2002, Jack Renner, a local real estate agent and a resident
in the immediate area, experienced a very successful year through his
business and felt motivated to give something back to the community.
A friend of the late Bert Weeks, an avid gardener and former mayor
of Windsor, who had spearheaded the development of nine city parks
during his long political career, Jack wondered if perhaps he could
add to Weeks’ legacy.
Surveying the empty lot next to Cameron and Riverside Drive, he
realized he had the perfect location for a new Windsor park and
a fitting gateway to the international gardens. Jack decided he
would create “Gateway Public Park of Windsor.”
With the blessing of CPR, the financial generosity of area businesses,
the help of a local nursery, cooperation from the City of Windsor,
sweat equity of the neighbourhood and friends, as well as Jack’s
own considerable financial and physical contributions, the once
drab and unsightly corner of Cameron and Riverside overlooking the
Detroit River, has been transformed into a beautiful, community
park.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of strolling through
Gateway Public Park of Windsor yet to enjoy the spectacular view
of the Detroit skyline while seated on one of its many benches,
this website will give you a good sense of what you’ve been
missing.
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