Local businesses, experiences crowned Best of Windsor Essex winners

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The votes are in and the community has crowned this year’s Best of Windsor Essex award winners.

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Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island hosted the seventh annual Best of Windsor Essex awards Wednesday afternoon, recognizing almost 50 local businesses, experiences and attractions as the “best of” based on about 11,000 votes from the community.

“What this does is give some bragging rights, some extra exposure … not only on the winners in each category, but nominees vying for those awards,” said Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI).

“It does shine a light on some of the best of the best in Windsor Essex.”

This year came with some highlights. The City of Windsor took home four awards for Bright Lights Windsor, the Windsor Sculpture Park, Ganatchio Trail and Windsor waterfront. Several businesses also became seven-time award winners, including Devonshire Mall, Kingsville Golf and Country Club, Walkerville Brewery, Pelee Island Winery and Armando’s.

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Point Pelee National Park also won four awards: best outdoor attraction, best beach, best birding hub and best county photo op.

Awards ranged from best pizza (a hotly-contested category for Windsorites, Orr said, with just a couple dozen votes separating the first- and second-place winners), to best shopping district, best on-the-water activity and best artisan. Categories included food, drink, shopping, outdoor adventure and arts and entertainment, among others.

“We do love our pizza and we’re very loyal,” Orr said with a laugh. “With all of the finalists you can’t go wrong.”

Businesses are nominated by community members early in the new year – this year the awards received more than 230 nominations — and voting takes place throughout the late winter and spring, with the community encouraged to cast their votes online.

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Once the award winners are crowned, they’re featured in TWEPI’s annual local visitors’ guide — but also make up a sort of “to do” list every summer.

“It’s a great list of inspirational ideas of where to enjoy arts and entertainment, attractions, food drinks, outdoor, shopping, where you might way to stay,” Orr said, noting the list is used by both visitors and locals alike.

This year and for the last two years the awards ceremony has been held virtually, but it’s still an important opportunity to recognize businesses and operators who have persevered during the pandemic, Orr said.

“It’s important to pause and recognize and celebrate the businesses that have adapted their business model and or persevered and continued to offer a welcoming experience, not only to visitors but to our locals,” Orr said. “It does give us much reason to recognize and celebrate.”

Find the complete list of winners, as well as the finalists in each category online at bestofwindsoressex.ca.

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