UWindsor Lance
Issue 29, Vol. 24
April 18, 2012
Jon Liedtke

---

What is the heart of Windsor?

While this seems like a simple question, the answer tends to be far more complicated than one would expect. Is downtown the heart of the city, or are the suburbs? How do you define the heart of the city: is it commercial, residential or cultural? Is it a geographical location which can be plotted to a map, or is it a feeling of something, a notion if you will?

As I sat down to answer the question, Immediately I began thinking about all the places that I love in Windsor: the riverfront, Jackson Park, Walkerville, Askin Avenue, Malden Park and the downtown all came to mind.

As I thought about it more and more, the answer seemingly eluded me. I kept getting stuck in the definition: What is a heart of a city? Thus, I decided that for my answer, the heart of the city would have to be classified as my favourite place.

My favourite place cannot be pegged to a map, nor can you open a door and enter it.

It is Windsor as a whole; the heart of the city is the city itself. You cannot define it by one simple place, because the reality is, Windsor is far more complicated than that.

As Windsor is transitioning into a post-manufacturing town, our roots dig deep in the industrial and blue collar sector. Industry built this town to what it is today, and for this reason, it is industry that is the heart of the city. Industry provided the
capital for expansion and the tools to do so.

But the residents who live in Windsor are also indeed the heart of the city; they work, live and play here. Without the residents, there would be no Windsor; the converse is true as well. While one may not think that a suburb is the heart of a
city, I would challenge that notion.

Another example of the heart of the city would be the cultural community. Culture provides the ability for a community to transform into something new, or simply embrace the talent which already exists. Windsor has an incredible cultural sector that thrives because of the citizens who appreciate it. Whether visual art or live
music, Windsor can give any major city a run for its money when it comes to a cohesive arts community.

So where is the heart of the city? That’s entirely up to you. For me, it is the entire community as a whole. There isn’t one area which is any better than another. Each separate component of the city helps to increase the value of the whole: synergy, isn’t it a beautiful thing.

And indeed, Windsor is the perfect example of synergy: a composite of many different groups of people, businesses and sectors all working to benefit the city at large. We need to embrace what it is which makes Windsor amazing: the people. By working together, we can further enhance what already exists in our community, while providing the groundwork for the future.

---

---

Jon Liedtke was the Features and Opinions Editor, Advertising Manager and Deficit Consultant at the UWindsor Lance.