Enjoy the warm welcome of Southern Ontario, with flights to Windsor.
With an illicit history of rum-running and a bright future of natural conservation, Windsor balances heritage activities with outdoor adventures. Whether you’re following in the footsteps of bootleggers at the Canadian Club Brand Centre or standing in Canada’s southernmost spot at Point Pelee, Windsor’s points of interest are always toast-worthy.
On nearby Peche Island, you’ll find history in harmony with nature. The ruins of the summer home of Windsor’s whisky and beer baron, Hiram Walker, are overgrown with the island’s vegetation, creating a strange and serene environment. Back on the mainland, the wilderness has taken over completely in Windsor’s Ojibway Prairie Complex. Some of Ontario’s rarest ecosystems thrive in this park system, which approximates a pre-settlement Windsor.
Explore Windsor’s past with a visit to more of the historic structures left behind by Hiram Walker. The turn of the century homes of Olde Walkerville were once company houses for Walker’s workers. Willistead Manor was originally built for Walker’s second son, but now the grounds serve as a public park for the city.
For a modern park (and some modern art), stroll along the shores of the Detroit River in the Windsor Sculpture Park. Over 30 large works dot the path of this scenic route, using the river as their backdrop. Away from the elements, the Art Gallery of Windsor completes the city’s collection with over 4,000 works within its walls.
After experiencing its art, Windsor’s entertainment awaits. If you’re looking for things to do in Windsor after dark, Caesars Windsor combines casino gaming, shows, and dining, in one luxe, Las Vegas-style locale. Even though it’s been almost 100 years since Windsor provided drinks for prohibition-era parties, this city still knows how to have fun.
In 1957, the Ojibway Prairie Complex began with a humble 100 acres. Since then, this nature reserve has expanded to over 600 untamed acres, which hold some of Windsor’s most fascinating wildlife.
This group of ecosystems is composed of five distinct parts, including the ever-popular Ojibway Prairies Provincial Nature Reserve. Each of these segments sustains a unique variety of plants and animals, some of which you won’t find anywhere else in Ontario.
As you pass through the park, keep your eyes peeled for the animals known to frequent the area. From green herons, to white-tailed deer, and the rare Blanding’s Turtle, creatures of every kind call Ojibway home.
Even if Ojibway’s animals evade your gaze, the area’s plant life is always ready to be photographed. Look for the incredibly rare Ontario tallgrass prairie and oak savanna, remnants of a once expansive ecosystem in the province. 533 species of flowering plants live in the park, including 60 species that are specific to prairies. Occasionally, all this greenery goes up in smoke, as part of prescribed burns designed to preserve the prairie ecosystems.
To best explore the Ojibway Prairie Complex, take any one of the numerous trails that trace through the area. Ojibway Park is the perfect start, featuring well-kept walking trails and a Nature Centre for educational exploration. In the Nature Centre, birding, photography, wildflower, and wildlife programs enhance the park’s already amazing outdoors.
From this part of Ojibway, you can also take the Windsor Trail. With Porter’s flights to Windsor, you’ll start off on the right foot to walk this trail to even more of Windsor’s naturally beautiful features.
Look for this little bit of paradise on the shores of Lake Erie. This lakeside location, combined with a lower latitude, creates a climate more typical of the southern United States than Canada. In this Carolinian climate region, plants and animals usually only found south of the border thrive.
The birds of Point Pelee are one of the area’s biggest points of interest. Wildlife spotting reaches whole new heights in this national park, with birds ranging from red-winged blackbirds and white ibises, to more exotic avians. Keep a pair of binoculars on hand to catch a glimpse of the colourful plumage of migrating and local birds. There is no shortage of plumage in Point Pelee, more than 370 species have been identified.
After watching Point Pelee’s skies, set your sights on its waters. You can canoe through the waterfront ecosystems on a guided boat tour to get acquainted with the park’s aquatic life. Take a walk through a swamp on the Marsh Boardwalk. Along this elevated 1.5 km trail, your feet will stay dry as you tour the wetland. From the path, you can climb into one of the viewing towers for a sweeping view of the swampland below.
Make your way to the Tip Trail, a1 km path that follows Point Pelee’s shoreline, right to mainland Canada’s most southern point. At the very tip, you may be tempted to go even further south by wading into Lake Erie. But it’s best to stay on dry land, as strong currents form at the tip, which could carry you away.
While you can’t go in the water, you’ll still have a spectacular view from the tip. Looking south, you might just spot Pelee Island, where vineyards produce grapes for the Pelee Island Winery. Enjoy the fruits of Southern Ontario on the island, or in nearby Kingsville, where you can sip a glass of the winery’s award-winning wines and unwind after your flight to Windsor.
Porter’s check-in desk is located in the departures area.
Windsor International Airport (YQG) is about 10 km / 6 mi from downtown Windsor.
Taxis from downtown cost about $25 CAD. Car service costs about $35 CAD.
Please allow sufficient time to drop off your car rental before your departing flight.
Take the Transit Windsor 8 Walkerville bus to the airport stop. The fare is $3.00 CAD.