Windsor is one of Canada’s most southerly towns. If you’d like to visit a progressive city just across the border, choose Windsor Ontario for your next relaxing, fun-filled getaway.

Windsor Ontario lies directly across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan. Typically you’d think of driving north from the U.S. to get to Canada; however, Windsor is located south of Detroit and is the only border crossing where entering the United States from Canada involves traveling north!

The Ambassador Bridge joins Windsor and Detroit above land. The idea for a motorway spanning the Detroit River started in the early years following World War I, but the bridge would not get built for almost 10 years, and at a cost of $23.5 million US dollars. When completed in 1929, the 2804-meter (9,200 foot) masterpiece of engineering was the longest suspension bridge in the world.

A unique alternative to the Ambassador Bridge is the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. At 22.8 meters (75 feet) beneath the river and nearly 1,600 meters (almost a mile) long, the two-lane tunnel is the fastest connection between the cities of Windsor and Detroit.

The tunnel connects to the 401 via Ouellette Ave. for getting around the Windsor area. Considered a great feat of engineering, the tunnel opened in November of 1930 at a total cost of $23,000,000. Be forewarned that the tunnel is the second busiest route between Canada and the US, and has toll and customs inspection booths at either end.

While trade determines the positive relations between the United States and Canada in the 21st century, it wasn't always that way. The two countries have fought bloody battles before establishing lasting peace, a legacy which has left its mark on Windosr, a strategic point between the two countries. In order to better understand this part of history, there are several museums in Windsor that you’ll want to visit that will provide retrospectives on the War of 1812 the Underground Railway.

Agriculture is important to this region, as grapes for wines grow easily in the benign climate. In addition to wineries depending on the land to provide them their product,  local beer breweries rely on the high-quality hops and barley from nearby fields.

However, agriculture was long ago replaced as the dominant local industry by the automotive sector. For decades a section of Windsor was simply known as Ford City. Today, the industry remains vibrant, and is closely intertwined with the massive automotive sector just across the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, Michigan (USA).

Windsor competes with Oshawa, Ontario for the title of automotive capital of Canada, with Windsor housing the Daimler-Chrysler Canadian Headquarters, and Oshawa housing the General Motors Canadian Headquarters. Its industries include the:

• DaimlerChrysler mini-van assembly plant
• Several Ford Motor Company engine and casting plants
• The General Motors transmission plant
• The Hiram Walker Canadian Club plant
• Along with a myriad of smaller parts manufacturers that supply the larger plants

Windsor is also known as a global leader in the building of molds for the plastic injection industry. Labor union membership is very high in Windsor, thus the Canadian Auto Workers Union has a strong and influential presence in the city.

Windsor is also home to Casino Windsor and the Canadian Club Distillery.
 
Encompassing 46 square miles, Windsor is home to over 208,000 people. Its residents are predominantly English speaking, but Windsor is a multicultural city, playing host to people from all over the world.

There are two colleges in Windsor: the University of Windsor and St. Clair College. The University enrolls approximately 14,000 students from Canada, the U.S. and around the globe. It has nine academic departments, including Arts & Social Sciences, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies and Research, Human Kinetics, Law, Nursing, Science and the Odette School of Business.

St. Clair College provides lifelong learning opportunities for more than 5,600 students. This college features over 70 academic programs in 10 schools of specialization.

The climate in the Windsor area lends itself to a picturesque environment. But just imagine the natural beauty of having water on three sides of your city! Such is the case in Windsor, as it is surrounded by Lake Erie, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River.

Because of its waterfront location, the city of Windsor has developed a taste for water sport. It is not uncommon to find residents enjoying the summer weather with their boats and water skis, swimming at the beaches of Pelee Island, or even taking in a boat tour along the banks of the Detroit River. Great sport fishing is also available – anglers can tell you that walleye, perch, musky and bass are in abundance.

Make sure you pack your walking shoes, as Windsor features three miles of walking paths along the Detroit River featuring unique sculptures, beautiful gardens and streets lined with stores, clubs and restaurants.

Of course, there is a variety of restaurants, clubs and bars to choose from when you visit Windsor. They are eclectic and diverse, offering everything from a relaxed atmosphere to live music and comedy.