McDougall Street Corridor Walking Tour officially launches

McDougall Street Corridor Walking Tour launshes Thursday, April 13, 2023 at Alton Parker Park in Windsor, Ont. (Source: Centre for Cities)

A new walking tour aims to highlight the rich history of the McDougall Street Corridor.

The Centre for Cities at Windsor Law and project partners officially launched the McDougall Street Corridor Walking Tour Thursday at Alton Parker Park.

Alton C. Parker, a lifelong resident of the McDougall Street Corridor, was Windsor’s first Black Police officer and Canada’s first Black detective.

With the help of local Black activists, Parker began his career on the Windsor Police force in 1942, becoming a detective in 1951. Beginning in 1966, the Parker family hosted “Uncle Al’s Kids’ Party,” a spectacular annual summer event held at Brodhead Park (now Alton Parker Park,) often attracting hundreds of local children.

This story is one of many celebrated and depicted in the archival project “We Were Here Recovering the Stories of the McDougall Street Corridor,” led by University of Windsor History Masters student Willow Key, on which the McDougall Street Corridor Walking Tour is based.

Officials say the McDougall Street Corridor Walking Tour (www.mcdougallcorridor.ca) is an immersive experience meant to bring home the realities of this rich history and show just how much has changed in a short period of time.

“By recording the stories and memories of current and former residents, we have been able to share a glimpse of this once vibrant, close-knit community,” says lead researcher Willow Key. “The McDougall Street Corridor Walking Tour makes this history accessible to the public in an engaging format and gives Windsorites a chance to learn more about this city’s Black history and the devastating effects of urban renewal policies.”

The story of the McDougall Street Corridor showcases this city’s rich Black history but also demonstrates the devastating impacts of city planning and urban renewal policies on a historic neighbourhood.

The McDougall Corridor Walking Tour offers a collection of videos, images, maps, and documentation that depicts this community, and invites you to learn more about a vital chapter in Canadian history.