Gary Parent Legacy Garden to be built along Windsor’s riverfront in memory of the long-time labour leader

A view of work to construct the Gary Parent Legacy Garden in Reaume Park at 236 Pillette Rd. along Riverside Drive in Windsor. March 30, 2026.(Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

An area in memory of a longtime labour leader will be built along Windsor’s riverfront.

City council has approved the creation of the Gary Parent Legacy Garden in Reaume Park, at 236 Pillette Rd., along Riverside Drive.

Parent died May 10, 2024, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 77.

The former president of the Windsor and District Labour Council was also the financial secretary of Canadian Auto Workers Local 444 before retiring from Chrysler in 2009 after 40 years with the company.

Former CAW national president and former Local 444 president Ken Lewenza says the goal is to raise $160,000 to pay for the project and maintain it once it is completed.

Lewenza says it was not unusual for Parent to make presentations before city council on issues ranging from poverty to health and safety to human rights.

“Gary Parent deserves this, and all of us today stand in the shadow of Gary Parent. All of us today have learned something from Gary Parent, and hopefully we’re sharing some of his compassion and continue to share his compassion through this project,” he said.

The garden is scheduled to open during a ceremony on May 1.

Lewenza says the site will include a seating area with a view of the Peace Fountain, along with information about Parent.

“It’s going to include a description of Gary Parent’s work within the labour movement and his commitment to the labour movement. It’s going to talk about his family, his commitment to family and family values, and how you extend that to being a good citizen in the city of Windsor and, quite frankly, in Canada,” he said.

The seating area will be located near the new International Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain, which honours a former president of United Auto Workers Local 444 who was shot and killed at the union hall on Turner Road in 1977 by a disgruntled Chrysler worker who had lost his job.

Lewenza says Parent and Brooks were very similar in their commitment to community involvement.

“To be able to sit at one of the benches and reflect on Gary Parent’s life, but also look at the Peace Fountain and see the connection between Charlie Brooks’ advancement for peace and Gary Parent’s continual work to move forward on Charlie Brooks’ vision for a progressive labour movement and a world made of peace,” he said.

The target is to open the Peace Fountain on Sept. 21, the World Day of Peace, but if that deadline cannot be met, the opening could be delayed until 2027.

The original Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain was installed in 1978 but was removed in September 2023 due to age-related maintenance issues.

In November 2024, city council approved a $10.5-million plan to replace the fountain with a new floating version similar to the original.