Windsor, ON

Windsor in England is home to the Queen’s weekend and holiday residence – Windsor Castle. Windsor in Ontario is home to engine manufacturing plants of the Kings of the automotive industry – Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific have rail yards in the city that help send parts from Canada to the US for assembly.

None of this comes as a surprise when you consider that Windsor is just across the river from Detroit. The Windsor Riverfront on the east shore of the Detroit River offers the best views of the Detroit skyline. The five towers of the GM Renaissance Center, Ally Detroit Center, and Guardian Building dominate the skyline.

The riverfront is also home to a string of war memorials such as at the Korean War Memorial, Dieppe Gardens, and Canadian navy memorial. The location is particularly fitting when you consider its significance in the War of 1812 where the British attacked Fort Detroit from Windsor and the Americans surrendered without a fight.

Tecumseh, a native warrior, was instrumental to the success of this battle by marching his men past Fort Detroit multiple times to give the false impression of having a huge army. It’s strange that the US celebrates Tecumseh and his military genius when he actually fought for and won battles for the British side. Although there is a town just east of Windsor named after Tecumseh, he never got his dream of a united Native American state.

Near Caesar Casino stands the Tower of Freedom for the international Underground Railroad that freed black slaves from the US. The people of Chatham-Kent were instrumental in the success of the operation, establishing the first major black settlement in Canada.