MAPPING OUT PARTY PLANS
Officials gear up for Open Streets
It turns out you can’t purchase a trillium cookie cutter online. Just ask Doug Romanek of Nana’s Bakery — he scoured the internet for one with no luck.
The bakery will be making 200 dozen trillium cookies for Open Streets Windsor.
Romanek’s friend with a 3D printer saved the day and created a custom cookie cutter from scratch. The 2,400 white and green frosted cookies will be given away for free at the event’s Canada 150 activity hub.
“I think we all have to do our part for the city,” Romanek said. “Any way I can, I try and get involved ... I think we have to do it. It takes a village to raise a family, right? The city of Windsor is our village, and we all work together to raise it.”
Open Streets — the largest free recreational event in Windsor history — will close eight kilometres of streets to traffic from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 17 and invite Windsorites to walk, bike or jog the route while exploring activity hubs along the way.
“This is the question I’m getting from friends and family: what is Open Streets?” said Michael Chantler, project manager for the event. “It’s eight kilometres of uninterrupted roadway, that is shut down to vehicular traffic to encourage people to get out and walk, bike, jog, push strollers, push walkers; people of all abilities can come out and enjoy it.
“And along that healthy, active route, there are activity hubs where they can stop and do some fun things.”
The city held a public meeting Wednesday to “bring together our volunteers and community partners, and knock around some ideas,” Chantler said.
The event will stretch from Sandwich Street at Brock Street in Sandwich to Drouillard Road at Richmond Street in Ford City (vehicles can cross the route at 10 signalized intersections).
Last year’s event — two half days, one in July and one in September — saw 10,000 people participate. Chantler is hoping to top that number this year.
The event requires 280 volunteers minimum, and Chantler said the city is still looking, saying there’s “lots of room for people to volunteer.”
People interested in volunteering can sign up online at citywindsor.ca/residents/planning/ open-streets-windsor/Pages/ Volunteer-for-Open-Streets.
The 2017 Open Streets event will include a Canada 150 hub with multicultural dancing, a museum exhibit, 3D printing keepsakes and the 2,400 trillium cookies.
Rod Strickland of Fung Loy Kok Taoist Tai Chi on Ouellette said a “squad of 20” will perform roving tai chi demonstrations and interactive activities.
“People can come, they can participate, they can watch, they can learn a little bit about tai chi,” Strickland said. “Tai chi is a moving meditation; it’s great ... for young and old people.”
Strickland said the group will move along the Open Streets route, but will be identifiable in tangerine-orange shirts.
Wednesday’s meeting encouraged Gillian Benoit to bring back the rib cook-off in Ford City.
The cook-off will be located around the 1000 block of Drouillard. Five chefs will make two meals throughout the day, and participants can vote on their favourite. There is a charge for the ribs, but Benoit said it’s to re-coup costs rather than make a profit.
“After talking to everyone here at the meeting and people actually (remembering) the ribs, by request, we’re going to bring them back,” she said.