Mayor, Councillors, and Guests Open New City Hall Square

Mayor Drew Dilkens, members of City Council and City administration, and special guests gathered this weekend to celebrate Windsor’s 133rd birthday and to cut the ribbon on the brand-new year-round event space at City Hall Square.

City Council approved the conceptual design for the new City Hall Square Plaza on May 29, 2023, which represents the first phase of the Civic Esplanade project, bringing activation and renewal to the City Hall civic area. The goal of the project was to create an inviting, flexible, multi-use and context-sensitive outdoor space that balances the needs of City Hall staff and users, civic neighbours on the square, and members of the broader community. Design of the project was undertaken by MJMA Ltd., and Oscar Construction Company Ltd. undertook construction.

This project represents an approximately $15 million investment in infrastructure assets and amenities, while also supporting the City’s continued investments in inclusive and accessible cultural programming. The project is part of the City’s approved $2.24 billion 10-year capital budget to sustain the city’s continued sharp growth trajectory. This includes $312.7 million in capital investments for 2025 alone.

Of the full project costs, more than $6.7 million is being provided through the Government of Canada’s Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF).

In Ontario, The CCBF is administrated to 443 municipalities by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). It allows local communities to make strategic investments in essential infrastructure, including recreational facilities. The flexibility of the Fund allows local governments the ability to prioritize investment of the fund across 18 different project categories.

Windsor’s Civic Esplanade project invests across several key eligible categories including capacity building, resilience, culture, tourism, sport, and recreation. In addition to the Civic Esplanade work, current City projects receiving CCBF funding include road rehabilitation work along University Avenue, and the reimagining of Adie Knox Herman Recreation Complex. 

The overall plan for the Civic Esplanade renewal aligns with the Windsor Works strategy for economic development, and with the Strengthen the Core: Downtown Windsor Revitalization Plan’s goals of place-making and creating a vibrant district to attract new residents, visitors, businesses, and investments to the city core.

Sunday’s all-day celebration invited residents and visitors to “Explore, Discover, Celebrate” with a day of family-friendly fun and activities that included the grand opening of the new community gathering space outside City Hall, the City’s annual birthday party, free birthday treats, live entertainment, a children’s art exhibition inside City Hall, games and activations, free admission to Museum Windsor’s Chimczuk Museum, and more. The birthday celebration day was supported by generous sponsors, including Atura Power, Caesars Windsor Cares, Zehrs Markets, Tim Hortons, AM800 CKLW, Big Daddy BBQ, and numerous community partners.

As part of the celebration, guests had an opportunity to participate in an Explore Your City Passport program, with a downloadable passport available to keep track of the various engagement opportunities. Those who visited at least two of the listed activities can submit their passport to any City of Windsor community centre by August 1, 2025, to be entered into a draw for a chance to win a celebration prize basket. 

Live at the Square

Just ahead of the birthday celebration and grand opening of City Hall Square, the City launched a public call for musicians for Live at the Square. The City, with generous funding through Enbridge Fueling Futures, is launching this new weekly music series, running every Friday evening from late July through October 2025, and bringing local music and energy to the newly completed City Hall Square plaza. This will transform the public gathering space into a welcoming venue for community celebration. Through Enbridge’s support, the City can offer this free series and feature a diverse lineup of performers representing the rich creativity of Windsor and the surrounding region. Applications opened at the end of June and will be accepted on an ongoing basis. To learn more about the lineup and applicant eligibility requirements, and to apply, visit the Live at the Square web page.

Quotes: 

“We are Building Windsor’s Future through a continued focus on investment, growth, and sustainability while working to Strengthen the Core to revitalize the city’s downtown. The Windsor Civic Esplanade is one of the city’s greatest assets of public space in the heart of the community. It supports a wide variety of social, recreational, and cultural activities, in addition to providing an important point of access to City Hall. The new ice rink replaces the former rink at Charles Clark Square, while the year-round design opens countless opportunities for engagement and programming — including the Live at the Square music series. Like the Legacy Beacon at the waterfront, this project is about more than infrastructure — it’s about creating lasting amenities, assets, and public spaces where we can showcase Windsor’s talent, celebrate its stories, and shape its future. We are grateful to Minister Robertson, the Canada Community-Building Fund, and the federal government for its continued investments in our community, and to the teams at Oscar Construction and MJMA Ltd., and all City administration who worked to bring this vision to life. This renewal of City Hall Square will have significant positive impacts on economic development, neighbourhood revitalization, tourism and hospitality, community groups, residents, and visitors in Windsor.”
- Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens

“The revitalization of City Hall Square is a great example of how federal investments through the Canada Community-Building Fund are helping communities like Windsor grow and thrive. This new space will bring people together, support local culture, and strengthen the city’s vibrant downtown. Congratulations to everyone involved in making this vision a reality.”
- The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

To learn more about City assets, amenities, growth strategies, and more, please visit www.CityWindsor.ca.