Windsor, Ontario Streetcar System
Encyclopedia
Windsor, Ontario was the first Canadian
city with an electric street car system, which was introduced in 1886. Other Canadian cities soon followed suit, with St. Catharines in 1887 and Toronto
in 1889. By World War I
, nearly 50 Canadian cities had streetcar systems in place. By the time Windsor’s streetcar system was dismantled in 1937, the system’s scale was extensive and it serviced all 5 of the major riverfront communities of Windsor, Ford City (East Windsor)
, Sandwich, Walkerville
and Ojibway.
from Belgium
in 1874 to develop his electric system. Windsor was the first city to adopt VanDepoele’s system, as well as the first in Canada to have any type of electric streetcar system. Prior to the electric cars, a horse-drawn streetcar system had been in place since 1872. The new railway began development under two companies, the Windsor-Walkerville Street Railway Company and the Windsor-Sandwich Street Railway Company until the two merged in 1891 to later become the Sandwich, Windsor, and Amherstberg Street Railway (S.W. & A.R.). VanDepoele’s electric streetcar first ran in Windsor on June 6, 1886, servicing the small town nestled south of the Detroit River
.
, while simultaneously encouraging population growth
south of the Detroit River where transportation was becoming readily available.
The track began expanding from the small city of Windsor outward to the east and to the west to the towns of Sandwich, Walkerville, and East Windsor. Population was expanding in these areas largely due to the introduction of big industries in Windsor. Walkerville began expanding due to the Hiram Walker
distillery and East Windsor because of the introduction of a Ford Factory
in 1904.
Subsequently, the S.W. & A.R. began expanding its track to these areas and to areas of dense population growth, creating access to much of the city and surrounding areas. People followed the track line, and the track line followed the people. Many Windsorites did not own automobile
s, and found the streetcar a viable alternative to purchasing a new car. By 1921, the track had expanded to the towns of Amherstberg and Tecumseh
at each end, measuring 37 miles in total. An additional track, the Windsor Essex and Lakeshore Hallway Company, operated between Leamington
, Essex
and Kingsville
.
As the automobile began rising in popularity and lowering in price, the use of the streetcars began to decline, despite the steady increase in population seen in Windsor at that time. In 1934 the company went out of business and its rails were incorporated into the system of the S.W.& A.R..
left the world in financial turmoil. The streetcars were expensive to operate and were beginning to deteriorate, and because of costs S.W. & A.R. began to cut down some of the less-travelled and less-profitable routes on the track. The newly comprised City of Windsor, consisting of the Sandwich, Windsor, Walkerville, and East Windsor communities in 1935, was unable to bear the financial burden of the S.W. & A.R..
Bus
es began to be considered as a viable alternative to streetcars, because they were much less expensive, more efficient, and more modern. The S.W. & A.R. found that it would be less costly to purchase a set of buses than to repair the damage to the existing lines. It was also thought by many that it was contradictory to continue using electric streetcars instead of automobiles in the auto capital of Windsor, where automobile ownership was rising and providing stiff competition to public transport
ation.
In 1937 the City decided to abandon the streetcar system in favor of a city bus system. The last Windsor electric streetcar ran on May 7, 1939. The rails were removed from the ground and a city bus system has been in place ever since.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
city with an electric street car system, which was introduced in 1886. Other Canadian cities soon followed suit, with St. Catharines in 1887 and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1889. By World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, nearly 50 Canadian cities had streetcar systems in place. By the time Windsor’s streetcar system was dismantled in 1937, the system’s scale was extensive and it serviced all 5 of the major riverfront communities of Windsor, Ford City (East Windsor)
Ford City, Ontario
Ford City was a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the municipal boundaries of Windsor. The community was founded by the Ford Motor Company in the early 1900s as a separate company town where Ford had a big plant at the corner of Riverside Drive and Drouillard Road, which...
, Sandwich, Walkerville
Walkerville, Ontario
The former town of Walkerville Ontario, Canada is now a heritage precinct of Windsor Ontario. Incorporated in 1890, the town was founded by Hiram Walker, owner and producer of Canadian Club Whisky. Walker planned it as a 'model town’ ) that would be the envy of both the region and the continent...
and Ojibway.
Early Beginnings
The streetcar system adopted by the city of Windsor and surrounding towns was developed by Charles J. Van Depoele. VanDepoele had immigrated to Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in 1874 to develop his electric system. Windsor was the first city to adopt VanDepoele’s system, as well as the first in Canada to have any type of electric streetcar system. Prior to the electric cars, a horse-drawn streetcar system had been in place since 1872. The new railway began development under two companies, the Windsor-Walkerville Street Railway Company and the Windsor-Sandwich Street Railway Company until the two merged in 1891 to later become the Sandwich, Windsor, and Amherstberg Street Railway (S.W. & A.R.). VanDepoele’s electric streetcar first ran in Windsor on June 6, 1886, servicing the small town nestled south of the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
.
Expansion
Although initially the track spanned only a small portion of Windsor along the Windsor-Detroit waterfront on Riverside Drive, the S.W.& A.R. began expanding its service Southward with an extension along Ouellette Avenue in 1893. The track started at the international ferry landing and went south, providing access to a popular race trackRace track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
, while simultaneously encouraging population growth
Population growth
Population growth is the change in a population over time, and can be quantified as the change in the number of individuals of any species in a population using "per unit time" for measurement....
south of the Detroit River where transportation was becoming readily available.
The track began expanding from the small city of Windsor outward to the east and to the west to the towns of Sandwich, Walkerville, and East Windsor. Population was expanding in these areas largely due to the introduction of big industries in Windsor. Walkerville began expanding due to the Hiram Walker
Hiram Walker
Hiram Walker was an American grocer and distiller, and the eponym of the famous distillery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Walker was born in East Douglas, Massachusetts, and moved to Detroit in the mid-1830s...
distillery and East Windsor because of the introduction of a Ford Factory
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in 1904.
Subsequently, the S.W. & A.R. began expanding its track to these areas and to areas of dense population growth, creating access to much of the city and surrounding areas. People followed the track line, and the track line followed the people. Many Windsorites did not own automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s, and found the streetcar a viable alternative to purchasing a new car. By 1921, the track had expanded to the towns of Amherstberg and Tecumseh
Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh is a town on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has a population of just over 24,000.Tecumseh enjoys long summers and mild winters...
at each end, measuring 37 miles in total. An additional track, the Windsor Essex and Lakeshore Hallway Company, operated between Leamington
Leamington, Ontario
Leamington is a municipality in Essex County, southern Ontario, Canada, and has a population of 31,113. It includes Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada. It has a large H. J. Heinz Company factory and is known as the "Tomato Capital of Canada", with 4 km² of this crop in the...
, Essex
Essex, Ontario
Essex is a town with a population of 20,032 in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, whose municipal borders extend to Lake Erie. Essex is also the name of the largest community within the municipality. The present mayor is Ron McDermott...
and Kingsville
Kingsville, Ontario
The Town of Kingsville is located in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and is Canada's southernmost municipality with town status. According to the 2006 census, the population of Kingsville is 20,908.-Geography:...
.
As the automobile began rising in popularity and lowering in price, the use of the streetcars began to decline, despite the steady increase in population seen in Windsor at that time. In 1934 the company went out of business and its rails were incorporated into the system of the S.W.& A.R..
Disintegration
The electric streetcar system provided an extensive and extravagant mode of transportation to the citizens of Windsor until the 1930s, when the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
left the world in financial turmoil. The streetcars were expensive to operate and were beginning to deteriorate, and because of costs S.W. & A.R. began to cut down some of the less-travelled and less-profitable routes on the track. The newly comprised City of Windsor, consisting of the Sandwich, Windsor, Walkerville, and East Windsor communities in 1935, was unable to bear the financial burden of the S.W. & A.R..
Bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es began to be considered as a viable alternative to streetcars, because they were much less expensive, more efficient, and more modern. The S.W. & A.R. found that it would be less costly to purchase a set of buses than to repair the damage to the existing lines. It was also thought by many that it was contradictory to continue using electric streetcars instead of automobiles in the auto capital of Windsor, where automobile ownership was rising and providing stiff competition to public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
ation.
In 1937 the City decided to abandon the streetcar system in favor of a city bus system. The last Windsor electric streetcar ran on May 7, 1939. The rails were removed from the ground and a city bus system has been in place ever since.