Eva Antonel
As you trudged from door to door
carrying a bag full of candy with your little
ghost or goblin trick or treating Halloween
night, you probably passed several haunted
places or spaces without giving it a second
thought. Whether you know it or not, and
depending on your point of view,
Windsor-Essex has been either blessed or
cursed to be located in the midst of some of
Canada's most intriguing and storied past.
Just ask Marty Gervais, Windsor's unofficial
historian, publisher and Poet Laureate. You
could talk from early morning and into the
night and still not touch upon all the stories
that make up Windsor's collective past. The
War of 1812, the Underground Railroad, rum
running during the prohibition era, Sandwich
Towne, Assumption Church, Willistead
Manor, are just a few of the events and locales
that hold particular importance. But did you
know that Al Capone was rumored to
frequent a hidden bar at Hiram Walker, that
the site of present day Devonshire Mall was
once a famous thoroughbred racetrack, that
Texas Rd. and the Artisan Grill in the vicinity
of Amherstburg are known as haunted
places?
There are historical accounts written,
museum pieces to be studied and tours to be
taken, but nothing really touches the soul and
imagination like a real story about real
people. And, what better way to convey a story
than through poetry, a genre known for
commemorating important events?
In conjunction with Windsor's upcoming
125th birthday, the City of Windsor Cultural
Affairs department and Marty Gervais, in his
official role as Windsor's Poet Laureate, has
assembled a group of local poets to gather
these stories and tell them like only a poet
can. Vanessa Shields, known for her candid
observations about motherhood and
womanhood, Mary Ann Mulhern, an ex-nun
who writes about her experience, Daniel
Lockhart, a local poet and publisher, Carlinda
D'Alimonte, a poet and high school English
teacher, Peter Hrastovec, a local poet and
lawyer as well as Dorothy Mahoney, also a
local poet and teacher, will take on the task of
bringing these stories to life.
The collection will be gathered and
published next year as part of the City’s
birthday celebrations. In the meantime, there
are several ways to indulge in your taste for
local history. Visit any well stocked bookstore
and ask to see the local history section. You'll
be well on your way to acquainting yourself
with who we really are. You may never look at
any of our familiar and often overlooked
landmarks quite the same way again. If the
popularity of the annual gathering of poet
laureates from across the country at the iconic
Willistead Manor is any indication, this
collection of poetry will enjoy as good a
reception as did Rum Runners published by
local Black Moss Press and, From The Vault I
and II by also local, Biblioasis.
Get your GPS updated, get those walking
shoes going and be sure to keep your eyes
peeled for any rogue poets idling around
seemingly mundane locations. You and they
may have walked into a story.
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November 2016 - The HUB 9