Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain to get new design

The Peace Fountain is out of the water in Windsor, Ont., on Thursday, May 23, 2019. (Angelo Aversa / CTV Windsor)

Windsor, Ont. — Windsor’s Peace Fountain, which has served as a photo backdrop for many residents’ most cherished memories, will be getting a new design, and the city is looking for feedback.

The Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain, first added to the Detroit River in 1978, is installed each summer near Reaume Park and Coventry Gardens, and has since served as an attraction for both visitors and residents and often serves as the backdrop for prom, graduation and wedding photos.

“When it opened in 1978, the Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain was celebrated as a technological marvel and a symbol of peace as the first international floating fountain in the world. Its captivating light and water display has not only served as an inviting gathering place for residents, but has also become a key tourist attraction with positive economic spinoffs,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said.

The Peace Fountain is the only international floating fountain in the world. It can propel water 70-feet in the air and displays a light show every night from May through October.

While it has served as a one-of-a-kind attraction in Windsor for 43 years, the city says it is now time for a new signature attraction.

“For more than four decades, the Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain has attracted visitors from near and far, serving as the picturesque backdrop to countless weddings, anniversaries, first dates, graduations and many more special occasions at Coventry Gardens,” councillor Jo-Anne Gignac said. “We now have an opportunity to reimagine this landmark attraction for future generations to enjoy and create new memories. I encourage residents to provide feedback on the design of the proposed new Peace Fountain. Visit PeaceFountain.ca to have your say.”

The city has created a dedicated website full of historical information and collaboration opportunities for residents to provide feedback and contribute design ideas of the next Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain.

The City of Windsor is also looking to capture what the Peace Fountain has meant to you by sending in photos of memories to add to the legacy of the landmark.

“Charles Brooks was a wonderful community leader,” a city news release said. “His contributions and the Peace Fountain that bears his name will live on, and we’re excited to work with the community to find out how.”