Jackson Park is a park south of

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

Windsor,

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. Acquired in 1929, with the persistence of then mayor Cecil E. Jackson, Windsor City Council voted in favour of purchasing the land from the Jockey Club. At the same meeting where the land was purchased, city council decided to name the new park after their mayor. Jackson Park has long been considered one of Windsor's most beautiful parks and attractions. It is most known for its yearly display annual garden beds and a large array of perennial plants. In the winter months, Jackson hosts Bright Lights Windsor, a Christmas light display put on by the City.

Park

The park contains many war memorials including a

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, a

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

and a South African war memorial. Jackson Park contains more than 10,000 plants, many of which are located in its Sunken Gardens. The original World War II monument was an

Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster, commonly known as the Lancaster Bomber, is a British World War II, Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to ...

bomber aircraft FM212; it was removed in 2005 due to the effect that over four decades of exposure to the elements was having on it, and replaced by more weather-resistant fibreglass models of a

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

and a

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...

fighter. Beneath the two aircraft is a garden in the shape of the Lancaster bomber. Jackson Park is also a well equipped, popular sports park. Besides being the permanent home of the Windsor Lawn Bowling Club and Windsor Tennis Club, the park also provides a wide assortment of creative play units, ball diamonds and a cricket field. In 1991, both the lighted tennis courts and the lawn bowling greens were upgraded and repairs made to the cedar pergola structure. In the early 2010s, a new pergola was constructed to replace the weathered original. Jackson Park is one of the most intricate parks in Windsor. The park features formal gardens, fountains, monuments, and a network of walking areas. There are monuments in memory of the Boer War, Korean War and World War II, as well as those commemorating important people, such as the sundial which bears the name of Polish astronomer

Nicolas Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than Earth at its center. Copernicus likely developed his model independently of Aris ...

. Many of the walkways are in well-lit and open areas, but there are a few that lead to shade, or to quiet spots tucked away between bushes and tall plants. It is a well maintained park and worth an afternoon of exploration. Amenities include: cricket pitch, baseball diamonds, picnic area, fountains, gardens, privately owned Parkside Tennis Club, Copernicus sundial, South African War Memorial, Land, Sea, Air Memorial, Robert Burns memorial, washrooms, concession.

Gates

The entrance gates, constructed in 1931, are located on the southeast corner of Ouellette Ave. and Tecumseh Rd. and were designed by Pennington and Boyde Architects.

Windsor Stadium

Maintenance of Windsor Stadium, built in 1929 as part of the Kennedy Collegiate property, was taken over by the City of Windsor in 1960. Improvements were completed on the turf along with several service buildings. Major upgrades to the facility were undertaken in 2006 to upgrade the seating and accessibility of the property. In 2015 the

Greater Essex County District School Board The Greater Essex County District School Board (known as English-language Public District School Board No. 9 prior to 1999) was created on January 1, 1998, with the amalgamation of the Windsor Board of Education and the Essex County Board of Educ ...

had re-assumed the property and entered a land use contract with the AKO Fratmen. The fratmen had plans for restoration of the property that never came to fruition.

Bandshell

The original bandshell was built in 1950 however it burned down in a 1957 fire. In 1959 council approved the construction of the replacement bandshell for a sum of $42,200. The bandshell was designed by Johnson and McWhinnie and built by Loaring Construction Company. The new Bandshell was used for many events throughout the 60's and 70's including the Emancipation Day festival and Windsor's Battle of the Bands. Today, the Bandshell is used as storage for the City's parks department.

Field House

Built in 1961 and designed by then City Building Commissioner Patrick McGuire, the fieldhouse included a recreation office, dressing rooms for Windsor Stadium, a meeting room and a workshop for the City's Recreation Department.

Bright Lights

In 2017 the park was host to the first Bright Lights Windsor festival. In years since the scale of the festival has grown. Bright Lights Windsor is a holiday-themed winter light festival.

Emancipation Day Celebrations

History

Emancipation Day Emancipation Day is observed in many former European colonies in the West Indies and parts of the United States on various dates to commemorate the emancipation of African slave trade#Abolition, slaves of African descent. In much of the British ...

celebrations in Jackson Park first began as smaller festivities hosted by Windsor citizens, some who are descendants of enslaved African-Americans who searched for freedom through the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

. Soon enough, peaking in 1950s-1960s, the annual celebration prospered, extending over several days of gatherings, feasting, parades, among others. The celebration attracted hundreds of thousands across North America including renowned musicians like

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

and

The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

; as well as notable civil rights activists such as

Martin Luther King Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his a ...

Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American civil rights activist. She is best known for her refusal to move from her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, in defiance of Jim Crow laws, which sparke ...

, Adam Clayton Powell and

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

References

External links

Jackson Park
at City of Windsor * {{coord, 42.2957, N, 83.0235, W, display=title Parks in Windsor, Ontario Gardens in Canada