Streetcar No 351

Bring Back Windsor's Streetcar No. 351

Fundraising objective: $100,000 to "Preserve and Protect" the Streetcar No. 351 from the elements
Watch the story behind Windsor’s Streetcar 351 restoration told in a documentary produced by ENWIN Utilities
Restoration Video Series (YouTube)
Streetcar No. 351 Sponsorship Package

Donate Now

Official Streetcar No.351 T-shirts now available!

Streetcar No.351 t-shirts are now available for $30 each. The t-shirt features the Streetcar No.351 logo on the front and a list of the original route stops on the back. Men's and women's sizes available. All proceeds to benefit the "Preserve and Protect" campaign. To purchase, contact Nora Romero at nromero@citywindsor.ca or 519-255-6100 ext. 6579.
See the t-shirt.

Background

The City of Windsor has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to preserve an important part of our city’s history. U.S. and Canadian cities built between 1880 and 1945 were streetcar cities. It was a time, very brief in retrospect, when people walked a lot but could also achieve great distances by hopping on streetcars. Streetcar cities were walkable, and transit was accessible and virtually pollution free, while still dramatically extending the distance citizens could cover during the day.

The first streetcar company in Windsor, the Sandwich and Windsor Passenger covered Parent Avenue, College Avenue, Lincoln Road, Seminole Street and Erie Street, as well as the Sandwich line that ran down University Avenue. Windsor was the first place in Canada to run an electric bus (with poles and wires and rubber tires) starting in 1922.

Following a public open house and city-wide survey, a recommendation was approved to make Streetcar No. 351 the focal point of the Celestial Beacon, one of five beacons planned for the riverfront in a 2000 Central Riverfront Implementation Plan. The Celestial Beacon is the one farthest west, close to the University of Windsor and within the outdoor sculpture garden at new Assumption Park. It is recommended for its beauty and amenities, like parking, washrooms and available utilities. RM Auto Restoration in Blenheim, with their impeccable reputation, was unanimously selected by city council to restore the 100-year-old streetcar.

Honorary Fundraising Chair Bob Pedler and other committee members have established a $100,000 fundraising campaign. This initiative was launched on November 14, 2018 during the streetcar’s 100th year of existence and will fundraise for 351 days. These funds will be allocated towards the cost to preserve and protect the streetcar at its new outdoor home along the riverfront.