Windsor-Essex area guide
Living in West Windsor: The Oldest Settlement, and the Newest Bridge
West Windsor holds the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal, the University of Windsor, the largest concentration of protected natural area in the city, and as of July 2026 the newest international crossing on the Canada-US border. No other part of Windsor has changed as much in the past year.
Welcome to West Windsor
West Windsor is the oldest part of the city and, since July 2026, home to its newest border crossing. What that combination does to value here is genuinely early to call, so this guide sets out what has actually changed rather than forecasting it.
Photography coming soon
The Gordie Howe International Bridge began carrying passenger and commercial traffic on Monday 27 July 2026, after an inauguration ceremony in Windsor three days earlier. It is the first new vehicle crossing between Windsor and Detroit in nearly a century. The Ambassador Bridge, a few kilometres up the river and also in the west end, opened in 1929 and had carried that load alone ever since, alongside the tunnel.
The numbers are worth stating plainly. A $4.54 billion project. Six lanes of traffic, sixteen toll lanes, and sixty inspection lanes across the two ports of entry. Towers rising roughly 220 metres, held by 216 stay cables, over the longest cable-stayed main span in North America. Construction began in October 2018, and just under 16,000 workers logged more than 20 million hours getting it built. The architect has said the curve of the towers was drawn to recall the arc of Gordie Howe's slapshot.
What it does, practically, is connect Highway 401 directly to Interstate 75. There is also a toll-free multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists running the length of it, opening later, and programmable lighting on the towers that the city will be looking at for a long time. For anyone buying in the west end, this is the fact that sits underneath everything else: a new border crossing, new highway infrastructure, and substantial investment in the surrounding area, all arriving at once in the oldest part of the city. It is genuinely early days, and what it means for this side of Windsor will be clearer a year from now than it is today.
Sandwich was here first, by a long way. Sandwich Towne was settled in 1748 as a French agricultural settlement, which makes it the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal. The village proper was established in 1797, and it was granted town status in 1858, at a point when it had a larger population than Windsor did.
The history here is unusually dense. The Duff-Baby House was built between 1792 and 1798 for the fur trade. Sandwich was the site of one of the major battles of the War of 1812, and later the Windsor Rebellion of 1837 and a front of the Patriot War. It also played a significant part in the Underground Railroad as a crossing point into Canada. Long before any of that, the land along this stretch of river was known as Wawiiatanong, in the traditional territory of the Three Fires Confederacy: the Ojibwe, the Potawatomi, and the Odawa. By the 1980s a lot of that was at risk, and a group of residents organised to save it. That effort is the reason the Duff-Baby House and the rest of the heritage stock are still standing to be walked past today.
On the ground
Amenities and points of interest.
Sandwich Towne
The commercial core sits around Sandwich Street and Mill Street, which has been the neighbourhood's hub since the nineteenth century. Mackenzie Hall Cultural Centre anchors the arts programming. The John Muir branch and the Local History branch of the Windsor Public Library are both here. Common Ground Gallery, St. John's Anglican Church, and the Duff-Baby House are within a short walk of one another, and Mill Park carries a replica of the windmill the street was named for.
The University of Windsor
The campus sits in the west end just past the Ambassador Bridge, roughly a fifteen-minute walk from Old Sandwich Town. Everything that comes with a university is close: the events, the athletics, the library, and the steady activity of a campus neighbourhood.
Ojibway
The west end's great asset, and bigger than most people in the city realise. The Ojibway Prairie Complex is a collection of six natural areas ten minutes from downtown: Ojibway Park with Tom Joy Woods, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park, Black Oak Heritage Park, the Spring Garden Natural Area, the Oakwood Nature Area, and the provincially administered Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve. The city-managed portion runs to roughly 260 hectares, with the provincial reserve adding more than 105 on top. What it protects is one of the largest remaining stands of tallgrass prairie and oak savannah in Ontario, habitat that has all but vanished from the rest of the province. Wetland, forest, savannah, and prairie together support more than 4,000 species. The Ojibway Nature Centre on Matchette Road runs the trails and programming, and Ojibway Shores sits on the river. It is also on its way to becoming a national urban park: the 2024 federal budget set aside $36.1 million over five years to create Ojibway National Urban Park, with the lands under consideration including Ojibway Park, Black Oak Heritage Park, Ojibway Shores, Spring Garden, the provincial reserve, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park, and the Oakwood Nature Area, alongside Brunet Park and Stanton Woods over in LaSalle.
Malden Park
Around 175 acres, and it holds the highest hill in Essex County. From the top you get the Windsor skyline, Detroit across the water, and the Gordie Howe bridge, and the Terry Sawchuk observation area is set up for exactly that view. There's a 25-acre Carolinian forest, three ponds, a swamp forest partly designated as a Provincially Significant Wetland, and an extensive network of paved and wood-chipped trails that mountain bikers use as much as walkers do. The hills make it one of the better places in the city to watch the spring and autumn bird migration. The Malden Park Visitor Centre is available for rentals.
Mic Mac Park
The west end's sports hub, with baseball diamonds, soccer fields, an outdoor pool, a spray pad, playgrounds, and picnic space.
Spring Garden
Part of the Ojibway complex and designated an Environmentally Significant Area by the Essex Region Conservation Authority, with oak savannah, prairie, and wetland, and rare species including the purple twayblade orchid, American chestnut, dense blazing star, and the red-headed woodpecker.
The trail network
The West Windsor Recreationway and connecting trails link Malden, Mic Mac, and the Ojibway parks, and run through toward the riverfront and downtown.
On the water
The Detroit River runs the length of the west end, with the riverfront trail connecting east toward downtown and the Odette Sculpture Park.
Services
Sandwich has a walk-in clinic, a medical clinic, a pharmacy, dentistry, and counselling services within the neighbourhood, plus HMCS Hunter, the New Canadians' Centre of Excellence, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge community office.
Getting around
Huron Church Road and Sandwich Street are the main routes, with the E.C. Row Expressway close and, now, a direct 401 connection through to the new crossing. Both international bridges are in this part of the city.
Dated market context
West Windsor residential activity
Not enough West Windsor sales in the current reporting period to publish a figure I would defend. Ask me and I will walk you through what is actually selling.
REALTOR®, MLS®, and associated marks are controlled by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify members of CREA. Market information is general and should be verified before making a decision.
People also ask
West Windsor questions, answered straight.
When did the Gordie Howe International Bridge open?
It opened to passenger and commercial traffic on 27 July 2026, following an inauguration ceremony in Windsor on 24 July. It is the first new vehicle crossing between Windsor and Detroit in nearly a century.
What is the Gordie Howe International Bridge?
A $4.54 billion cable-stayed bridge connecting Windsor to Detroit, with six lanes of traffic, sixteen toll lanes, and sixty inspection lanes across two ports of entry. Its towers rise roughly 220 metres and are supported by 216 stay cables, over the longest cable-stayed main span in North America. It links Highway 401 directly with Interstate 75, and includes a toll-free multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists.
How will the new bridge affect the west end?
It brings a new international crossing, new highway infrastructure, and significant investment into this part of the city. It has only been open since late July 2026, so its longer-term effect on the west end will become clearer over the coming year.
What is Sandwich Towne?
The oldest continually inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal, settled in 1748 as a French agricultural community. The village was established in 1797 and became a town in 1858, when it was larger than Windsor. Its commercial core is around Sandwich and Mill streets.
What historic sites are in West Windsor?
The Duff-Baby House, built between 1792 and 1798 for the fur trade, is among the oldest buildings in the region. Mackenzie Hall Cultural Centre, St. John's Anglican Church, and Mill Park with its replica windmill are all nearby. Sandwich was a battle site in the War of 1812, a front in the Patriot War, and a crossing point on the Underground Railroad.
What is the Ojibway Prairie Complex?
The city's most significant natural area, protecting remnant tallgrass prairie and oak savannah habitat that has largely vanished from the rest of Ontario, along with Ojibway Shores on the river. The Ojibway Nature Centre runs trails and programming, and there has been a sustained effort to unite roughly 900 acres of it as a national urban park.
Is the University of Windsor in West Windsor?
Yes, the campus sits in the west end just past the Ambassador Bridge, about a fifteen-minute walk from Old Sandwich Town.
What parks are in West Windsor?
Malden Park, around 175 acres with the highest hill in Essex County, a 25-acre Carolinian forest, three ponds, and the Terry Sawchuk observation area looking out over the river and the new bridge. The Ojibway Prairie Complex, six natural areas totalling well over 350 hectares. Mic Mac Park for sports, with diamonds, fields, an outdoor pool, and a spray pad. Mill Park in Sandwich, and the riverfront running east toward downtown.
Is Ojibway becoming a national park?
It's in progress. The 2024 federal budget committed $36.1 million over five years toward creating Ojibway National Urban Park, taking in Ojibway Park, Black Oak Heritage Park, Ojibway Shores, Spring Garden, the provincial nature reserve, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park, and the Oakwood Nature Area, with land in LaSalle also under consideration.
What is Malden Park?
A roughly 175-acre park with the highest hill in Essex County, offering views of the Windsor skyline, Detroit, and the Gordie Howe International Bridge. It has a 25-acre Carolinian forest, three ponds, a partly designated Provincially Significant Wetland, extensive paved and wood-chipped trails used for walking and mountain biking, and a visitor centre available for rentals.
How many border crossings are in West Windsor?
Both of Windsor's international bridges. The Ambassador Bridge opened in 1929 and the Gordie Howe International Bridge opened in July 2026. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel runs from downtown.
Nearby areas worth a look
Two next steps
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