A long-standing partnership will ensure that one of Windsor's oldest surviving landmarks will continue looking its best on the outside.
The City of Windsor, St. Clair College, and the Port of Windsor held a media event on Wednesday morning at Mary Bibb Park in Olde Sandwich Town, to announce their continued commitment to beautifying the landscape there and at adjacent Mackenzie Hall.
Ward 3 Councillor Renaldo Agostino said the partnership dates back to 2016 when The Friends of the Court approached the City with concerns about the shape of the property. At that time, ivy was overgrowing, and Virginia creeper vines were encroaching on flowers and trees.
"The discussion resulted in a collaborative and a multi-stakeholder approach to not only improve the grounds at historic Mackenzie Hall, but to create an avenue to engage students, and create an environment so that the partnership would benefit all parties involved," said Agostino.
St. Clair College horticulture student David Piper-Clark is the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship made possible by the sponsorship of the Port of Windsor. He will work with the City's horticulture staff to maintain the Mackenzie Hall gardens this summer.
Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 82 have also joined with the City's Parks and Horticulture Department on the maintenance of the gardens.
The restored Mackenzie Hall was built in 1855 by future Canadian Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie and had previously been used as a courthouse. The City of Windsor purchased the property in the early 1980s and it is now a cultural centre.