PHOTOS: Hiram Walker statue installed

Workers install a bronze statue of Hiram Walker at the corner of Riverside Drive and Devonshire Road on Monday, June 20, 2022. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

A bronze statue of Canadian Club founder Hiram Walker was installed at the corner of Riverside Drive and Devonshire Road on Monday.

In honor of Walker’s 206th birthday, the city and numerous community partners will spend July 1 and 2 commemorating the distillery founder’s significant and lasting contributions to Windsor.

Kicking off with the Walkerville Art Walk, the weekend will include the unveiling of a bronze statue of Walker, a limited edition scotch ale brewed in his honour, a festival with stage performances, tours of Willistead Manor and JP Wiser’s Distillery, a children’s activity village , a roaring-20s themed fundraiser dinner, and more.

“I have often said that Windsor would be a shadow of itself if it wasn’t for the work that Hiram Walker did,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens on Tuesday. “We’re going to recognize the man who contributed so much to our community.”

Born in Massachusetts in 1816, Walker moved to Detroit in 1838. After starting a grocery business and learning to distill cider vinegar, he purchased land in the Windsor area in the 1850s and built a distillery and flour mill later named Hiram Walker and Sons Ltd. to produces whiskey. He created the world-famous Canadian Club Whisky.

Walker established the neighborhood that would become known as Walkerville and commissioned architects to construct public and private buildings still standing today.

A charitable man, Walker also donated money across the Windsor, Walkerville, and Detroit areas.

Festivities begin on July 1 with the Walkerville Art Walk from 4 to 10 pm That event continues the following day from 10 am to 7 pm and will see street closures along Wyandotte Street East and Devonshire Road, with vendors, artists, musicians, and activities.

A “Hiram’s Heritage” barrel-finished scotch ale will be available starting July 1 at the Walkerville Brewery (525 Argyle Rd.). Batch brewed and bottled by hand in Walkerville, the final product is “as unfiltered as it would have been back in the day” and finished in once-used oak whiskey barrels, said Ian Gourlay of Walkerville Brewery.

In 2016, in honor of Walker’s 200th birthday, Dilkens announced plans to commission a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of Walker in recognition of his legacy. The sculpture by Mark and Laura Williams will be unveiled at Hiram Walker Parkette (Devonshire Road at Riverside Drive East) at 10 am on July 2.

That unveiling begins the July 2 birthday celebration street festival, which includes musical and spoken word performances on the city’s ShowMobile entertainment stage, a children’s activity village on Devonshire Road, public tours of JP Wiser’s Distillery, and Canadian Club whiskey from Beam Suntory.

Also on July 2, the Friends of Willistead will at 11:30 am bring flowers and wreaths, and lead a short memorial tribute at the graves of Edward and Mary Walker, who built Willistead Manor between 1904 and 1906. From 2 to 4 pm, a new historical exhibit at the Willistead Manor coach house will be unveiled, and the manor will be open for public tours for the first time since the pandemic began.

Finally, Willistead Manor will host a roaring-20s themed fundraising dinner thrown by Dilkens and his wife, Jane. A portion of proceeds from each $100 ticket will go to the Willistead Manor Restoration Fund. Tickets are available at thymetogo.ca.

For a complete schedule of activities, visit the event webpage at citywindsor.ca.

A bronze statue of Hiram Walker is shown during installation at the corner of Riverside Drive and Devonshire Road on Monday, June 20, 2022.[/caption]