Before there was mechanical refrigeration, blocks of ice where used to keep food and beverages cool during the warmer months. This week’s Throwback Thursday Pic was taken circa 1909 and shows a group of men cutting blocks of ice out of the Detroit River at Brighton Beach near McKee Road to be used in refrigeration. The blocks of ice would be transported from the river to various ice houses in the region, where they would be stored through the year to be used in refrigeration in Continue Reading...

March Break is upon us and Windsor Public Library has you covered no matter what your plans are! Getting ready to travel by trains, planes, or automobiles? Check out a travel guide to help you plan and then load up your devices with eAudiobooks, eMovies, eMagazines, and eBooks to keep the whole family entertained along the way. Maybe you’re staying in town during the break? We have family-friendly activities planned every day at all of our 9 branches. Don’t forget to follow us on social media to get updates and reminders, and Continue Reading...

Stella’s Confectionery was located at 1141 Drouillard Road as the neighbourhood convenience store. This week’s Throwback Thursday Pic was taken on December 12, 1958. The store also acted as a Greyhound ticket agency for the community. Out front of the store is a public telephone booth, as residences in the area my not have a house phone at the time. A confectionery store has been operating at this location since 1928. Today the building still stands, but the former store has been converted to an apartment. Continue Reading...

WPL’s online public catalogue  and WPL app are now both functioning properly. We apologize for any inconvenience this unexpected downtime may have caused.  ...

This week’s Throwback Thursday Pic was taken circa 1975 along Park Street East. The church in the photographs is St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. The current structure was founded in 1871, with a parish community being established in 1856. The parish hall that was located next to the church was demolished in the 1990s to make way for the expansion of Detroit-Windsor Tunnel Plaza. Behind the church in the image is the Police Station that was eventually demolished when the new Justice Facility was open in the Continue Reading...

The first meeting of the 2023-2026 Windsor Public Library Board took place Tuesday, February 21 at John Muir Branch in West Windsor. Following nominations, Ward 4 Councillor Mark McKenzie was acclaimed as chairperson and Ward 9 Councillor, Kieran Mckenzie, was acclaimed as Vice-Chairperson. WINDSOR PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023-2026 City of Windsor Representatives Councillor Renaldo Agostino Councillor Kieran McKenzie Councillor Mark McKenzie Community Representatives Nicole Daignault Massimo De Menech Marko Jovanovic Moustafa Yahfoufi...

This week’s Throwback Thursday Pic comes from the archives Hiram Walker & Sons photograph collection. This image was taken circa 1925, and shows the shipping office located in the head office of Hiram Walker & Sons. The head office was located in Walkerville Ontario on Sandwich Street East (today Windsor Ontario, and Riverside Dr. East). Much Has changed in the office environment over the last 100 years, moving from typewriters to computers. The furniture would have evolved over the years, with the chairs becoming more comfortable Continue Reading...

Central, Riverside, and Budimir branches will be open on Family Day – February 20 –  ready to help you from 9 am to 5 pm. Our awesome programmers have designed fun family-style Drop-In Programs to help your family stay entertained, first come first served at the three open locations. We’re always open online at windsorpubliclibrary.com....

With Valentine’s Day just five days away, this week’s Throwback Thursday Pic looks back into the archives vault to our historic greeting card collection. This card was addressed to Miss Marion Bowlby the eldest daughter of Andrew and Edith Bowlby. The card was mailed from Orillia Ontario on February 14th, 1907, which also happened to Marion’s 12th birthday. Unfortunately, we don’t know who sent the card as there is no name provided. If you are interested in other historic images of Windsor, please visit the library’s Continue Reading...