Open Streets an open invitation to explore city at a slower pace
One-day ban on vehicles allows pedestrians and cyclist to rule
Wandering along University Avenue — packed with people, music and colourful events for the fourth Windsor Open Streets — 12-yearold Mohammed Tayeh still managed to stand out.
His face painted red and with the distinctive bolt of lightning of the comic book character The Flash, Tayeh had already gathered a handful of trinkets, buttons and candies from the various vendors lining the eight-kilometre course. Tayeh and his mother Samia, Palestinian refugees who arrived in Windsor in December, 2016, were also gathering knowledge and a sense of what their new home is really about.
“It’s been educational,” said Samia Tayeh, who had picked up brochures on enrolling at St. Clair College and the University of Windsor for herself.
“It’s been exciting. There are many things we can learn about.” It’s the first time the Tayeh family has participated in Open Streets. Like many, seeing streets turned over to pedestrians and cyclists was a freeing feeling, encouraging them to explore neighbourhoods they weren’t familiar with. “I wanted him to move from in front of the computer,” joked Samia Tayeh, confirming some issues cross all international borders. For Mohammed Tayeh, the stroll was more about the free bling and the fun on a beautiful Sunday morning.
“I liked all the activities,” Tayeh said. “There are games and you get to draw. I’ve liked it.”
Also new to the event was vendor Chloe LeFave.
The Tecumseh-based artist and owner of Co Creativ Art Studio was hoping to capture the mood of the day by offering up a large blank canvass on which passersby could lay down a stroke or two of paint.
“It’ll be interesting to see how it progresses,” LeFave said. “I hope we get a nice piece of work out of this community canvas.” LeFave said depending on the final product, it might be worth auctioning it off to raise money for charity.
The community connection was one reason both vendors and attendees gave for participating. Rebecca Blaevoet and her husband Emmanuel have been a part of all four events over the three years Open Streets has been held. On Sunday the couple was representing the Windsor Tandem Cycling Club, which pairs sighted cyclists with the blind.
“It’s an event Windsor needs more of to show the city is about more than parking,” said Blaevoet, who is unsighted.
Open Streets goes through many of the city’s business improvement areas, she noted. “Members of our club do the whole route. They get to experience the sounds, smells and the feel of the ebbs and flows of the crowd. It’s an event everyone can be a part of.”
Blaevoet would like the event to grow.
“I think the city should consider giving businesses who do something to support Open Streets an incentive or small break in their taxes,” Blaevoet said. “It would do so much for the event.” Windsor retirees Barbe Kirk and her husband James were pedalling their way along the route, which ran from Ford City to Olde Sandwich Towne, for the third time. “I love this event,” said Barbe Kirk, who started her ride in Walkerville. “I wish they’d do it more than once a year.
“I like riding my bike, getting outdoors, it’s so much nicer when the streets are open like this.” Kirk also liked that organizers were adding more music to this year’s event.
The popularity of the event pulls riders and pedestrians from across the border as well as Windsor’s suburbs. Lakeshore residents Jim and Debbie Sovran were participating for the third time.
“We walked part of it the first time, but we learned our lesson and have ridden our bikes the last two years,” Jim Sovran said. The couple started their journey in the city’s west end and planned to ride to Ford City and back. “It gets families out and it’s a real community time,” Debbie Sovran said. “If I had younger kids, there’s lots of activities for them. “Our kids are older now. The free suckers don’t cut it anymore.”