Bronze statue of Hiram Walker unveiled in Windsor, Ont.
Immortalizing the founder of Walkerville in cast metal has been a task — years in the making, in fact — but a statue of the late Hiram Walker was finally unveiled to the public at a new parkette at his old stomping grounds.
It’s been nearly 206 years since the birth of Hiram Walker and the community came together Saturday morning to get a glimpse of the monument where a young Walker stands mounted on whisky barrels overlooking the town he built.
“He literally built the buildings and infrastructure that serviced his businesses and in so doing, he built a community,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
Hiram Walker lived in Detroit for many of his early business ventures, but took an interest in the region in the mid 1800s, establishing a distillery, farm and flour mill in Canada. He later founded the area now known as Walkerville, which amalgamated with Windsor in 1935, years after Walker’s death.
But during the decades of his interests in the region, the whisky baron made an indelible mark on the community.
“It’s been just an incredible legacy he’s left since 1858 in our community and today we get to celebrate them and everyone who is here is so proud and so excited to see this today,” Dilkens said.
On hand for the unveiling was Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, Pamela Morse, who lives in Michigan.
“Oh, it’s remarkable, we’re so proud,” she proclaimed after setting eyes on the statue.
The monument cost $400,000, half of which was offset by private donors and partly funded through the City of Windsor public art endowment fund.
Artists Mark and Laura Williams were tasked with depicting a younger Walker his in 50s based on a picture supplied by the Canadian Club Brand Centre. That’s how old Walker was when he saw opportunity in southwestern Ontario.
“He’s carrying a set of blueprints of Walkerville, and he’s walking out to make sure everything’s going correctly,” Mark said.
“It’s nice to see the young Hiram Walker, instead of the gentleman that we all know with the white beard as he got older, but this is a middle aged man, and he was a pioneer,” said Tish Harcus of the brand centre, noting that photograph is now locked in the club’s vault for safe keeping.
The monument stands at a new parkette named for Walker at the corner of Devonshire Road and Riverside Drive, a stone’s throw to his old distillery and the historic Walker power building.
“He’s a person of Canadian national heritage and significance,” said Jake Rondot, who chairs the Walkerville Business Improvement Association. “We’ve very excited that this parkette could get developed and help develop this site here with the power building.”
Hundreds turned out for Saturday’s ceremony which falls just a few days shy of July 4, Walker’s birthday and what’s now known as Hiram Walker Day in Windsor.
“It speaks to how connected they are to this man, this distillery and the livelihood that he’s created for generations,” said Dilkens.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.