WINDSOR, Ont. -- Plans to transform Windsor’s downtown are forcing a growing number of community organizations onto the street.
The Border City Brawlers, Windsor’s budding women’s roller derby league, issued a public appeal this week for space after being informed Friday it had until the end of the month to vacate its home at the downtown armouries.
The Windsor Wood Carving Museum, one of only two in Canada, held an emergency membership meeting last week after being advised it was losing its free facility inside the library’s central branch at 850 Ouellette Ave.
And sports organizations that called Windsor Arena home, including the Windsor Minor Hockey Association and the University of Windsor men’s hockey team, are waiting for the parks and recreation department to work a scheduling miracle and find them prime time slots on the city’s remaining, but heavily used, ice pads.
“The city has a problem,” said Mike Havey, associate director of the university’s athletic and recreation services.
Affected groups knew well in advance that their current homes were on borrowed time. But the pace of development has quickened, and it’s scramble time for many.
“A gym would be great ... but we’ll take anything, even an empty warehouse,” said Jaime Guthrie of the Border City Brawlers.
Founded in Windsor in 2010, the league became an instant hit. Its approximately 40 competitive skaters used Charles Clark Square until the fall, making the move into the armouries for the winter on the city’s invitation, but with the warning they could be sent packing at any time.
The university is transforming the facility into its new school for music and performing arts, and preliminary work needs to begin next month.
Guthrie said the league only recently formed a travel team, and it now has no home to prepare for a tournament in Sarnia on March 3. “We need that month before to train and gel as a team,” said Guthrie.
The city has been assisting, but the league is anxious and asking for anyone who might be able to help to email info@bordercitybrawlers.com.
The Wood Carving Museum is caught in the middle of a plan that would see the Windsor Public Library vacate 850 Ouellette Ave. in favour of an unspecified large private business and move into tighter shared quarters with the Art Gallery of Windsor.
Museum president Peter Grant said his organization, established at the library in 1996 and visited by carving aficionados from around the world, has been advised it won’t be part of that move.
The city is helping in the search, but Grant said there are challenges for the cash-strapped organization of about 100 members which gets its current exhibition space for free. “It’s crunch time ... we need to know by the end of February, are we packing up for storage or packing up for a new home?” he asks.
While preferring to stay downtown, Grant said there have been offers to relocate in the county.
“As the clock ticks, we have to look at other options ... beggars can’t be choosers,” said Grant. “Anybody who wants to offer us space can contact me at 776-7371,” he added.
The Windsor Arena is in for a $10-million to $12-million transformation to a proposed farmers market and urban mall. Jan Wilson, the city’s executive director of leisure and recreation services, said the conversion means the loss of 60 hours of weekly ice rental time, and “we don’t have 60 hours of prime time elsewhere.”
Wilson said a search is underway to see which groups at other arenas are willing to adjust their slots to accommodate the Barn users, which also include broomball, AAA minor hockey and other leagues. The Lancers, who are eyeing South Windsor Arena as their preferred new location, prefer prime time blocks, but the rents for early morning and later evening slots are cheaper.
Asked if everyone being displaced will find a new home, Wilson replied: “It’s a little bit too early to tell.” But she added that users at other venues have shown a willingness to be flexible.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to is quite excited with all the development going on ... but there is some anxiety, there are still some unknowns,” Wilson said.
Coun. Percy Hatfield said he’s among several councillors who will be asking staff to prepare a report on the issue.
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