Walkerville area a step closer to becoming a heritage conservation district

These homes in Windsor's Walkerville neighborhood have been identified by a city report as receiving a heritage listing but not a formal heritage designation, pictured March 10, 2025. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

Another step towards seeing Walkerville become a heritage conservation district.

The Development and Heritage Standing Committee met on Monday afternoon where they approved Stage 1, and approved six recommendations pending council approval.

The six recommendations included proceeding with the plan and guidelines for Stage 2, as well for the identified boundary to be approved, explore the eligibility of individual property designations, among others.

The identified boundary of the district would essentially run from the Detroit River down Walker Road to Ottawa Street, and back towards Riverside Drive from Windermere Road.

Originally the proposed district was over 1,200 homes, however the district area would now see approximately 740 homes included.

Mark McKenzie, ward 4 city councillor and committee member, says residents are pleased with this, but have some concerns.

“What can I do with my property, what can’t I do with my property? And those are things that we’re going to address in the next stage of this study. So, looking forward to it, and I know that a lot of people are anxious to see it move forward, but we’ve got to make sure that we’re engaging the residents, and the people who are going to be affected and that’s why its taken this long to actually come to this point.”

Tracy Tang, acting Heritage Planner with the City of Windsor, says the boundary has changed.

“I think the original study area boundary had about 1,200 properties in total, and right now the number of properties within the proposed Walkerville HCD [Hertiage Conservation District] boundary is 700 to 800, around there. So it has scoped down about one-third of the original study area boundary to the proposed boundary.”

Tang says a lot of work has been completed in Stage 1.

“We did historical research into the different properties, we assess them based on the criteria under the Ontario Heritage Act to see if they meet the eligibility of contributing or non-contributing to the heritage area, and we did site visits to inventory all of these properties.”

If city council approves to move forward, Stage 2 would see detailed descriptions such as what home owners can and can’t do with their homes.

A Heritage Conservation District is a geographically defined area within a municipality that is noted for its distinct heritage character.

Without this designation, there are risks that Walkerville would be vulnerable to demolition, new construction, or inappropriate alterations. Infill development and redevelopments - enabled by provincial housing legislation - could result in disruption to the unique character of the area.

Walkerville was founded in 1890 by Hiram Walker, owner and producer of Canadian Club Whisky. The neighbourhood is characterized by large brick homes, wide streets, and plenty of trees.

~ By Meagan Delaurier, AM800 News.