Digital Commons Network^™

‘Death Of A Union Man’: Reconstructing Conflict At Windsor Chrysler During The Long Seventies, Heat Harvie

Major Papers

The shooting of UAW Local 444 President Charles “Charlie” Brooks in January 1977 by former Chrysler worker Clarence Talbot, allegedly over a grievance, brought the city of Windsor, Ontario to a standstill. Recently fired from his position as a relief worker at the Chrysler plant, Talbot was in a very vulnerable position where his ability to survive hinged on a successful grievance. Brooks was a beloved labour leader noted for his radical and colourful ways who had a long history of working hard for union and community members through his advocacy. The Ontario Supreme Court ultimately declared Talbot not criminally …

Skating The Line: Transnational Hockey In The Interwar Windsor-Detroit Borderlands, Nicole Pillon

Major Papers

Scholarship on the role of ice hockey in the development of the Canadian identity has neglected the unique experience of border communities in their discussions of the relationship between the formation of hockey fandom and Canadian nationalism. Usually focused on large hockey communities in Canada such as Toronto and Montreal, these studies examine the “Canadian” experience of hockey without considering the multi-faceted nature of border cities that were exposed to both Canadian and American ice hockey clubs.

This paper argues that professional hockey fandom in the Windsor-Detroit borderlands demonstrated that Windsorites’ shared socio-cultural conditions with Detroit, Michigan made them identify …

"So Long As We Still Live: Polish Efforts In Establishing A Military Recruitment Center In North America During The Second World War.", Peter Sawicki

Major Papers

Following their retreat to Great Britain in 1940, the Polish government and its military sought out fresh reserves to reinforce their depleted armed forces. With mainland Europe being overrun by the enemy, the Poles turned to the prospect of recruiting from the Polish émigré community on the American continent (Polonia). A generation earlier, over 20,000 Polish-Americans had enlisted to fight for the liberation of their homeland in the Blue Army. Seeking to recreate this success, the Poles established a recruitment center in Windsor, Ontario and a training camp in Owen Sound, Ontario. Despite their efforts, by 1942, the Poles only …

The Gay Commute: On The Development Of Queer Community And Identity In The Windsor-Detroit Borderlands, 1945-1980, Graeme Sylvio Sylvestre

Major Papers

The development of queer community and identity has always necessitated the delineation of queer-friendly spaces as a locus for socialisation, sexual expression, and freedom from animosity and hostility towards queer sexuality. Within the urban area of post-war Windsor-Detroit, the threat of exposure and possible arrest affected the everyday lives of queer individuals, which necessitated a quest for private locales that were amenable to the expression of queer sexuality and gender identity. What is here referred to as “the gay commute” was a defining characteristic of the lived experiences of the white middle-class gay residents in the Windsor-Detroit borderlands through the …

Councillors Deserve More: An Analysis Of Council Remuneration In Windsor, Chelsea Verna Bonneau

Major Papers

This paper analyzes the salaries of municipal councillors in Windsor, Ontario to determine if they are being paid an appropriate salary for the work they perform and the responsibility they hold. There are three methods used to find this result. First, the salaries of Windsor’s councillors are compared to the average salaries of other part-time workers in Ontario. Second, the average amount of time that councillors spend working on a weekly basis, both in meetings and outside of meetings, is determined. Finally, the salaries of Windsor’s councillors are compared to average salaries of boards of directors, as this is a …

The Political, Economic, And Social Determinants Of Child Poverty: The Case Of Windsor, Ontario, Paul J. Przytocki

Major Papers

In 1989, the federal government mandated to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000. This paper explores the political, economic, and social determinants of persistent and high rates of child poverty in the Windsor-Essex region of Ontario eighteen years after the stated deadline for this mandate. By asking the question of what social, political, and economic factors contribute to the stable and high rates of child poverty in Windsor-Essex, this paper argues that child poverty in the Windsor CMA is due to (1) a lack of political leadership and investment; (2) the lack of economic diversification; (3) a flawed support …

Breaking The States: Windsor's Gateway Radio Market (1967-1999), Ron Leary

Major Papers

Windsor, Ontario was the most important gateway radio market within Canada throughout the second half of the twentieth century. The successful integration of two of its commercial radio stations within the highly competitive Detroit radio market, CKLW “The Big 8” and 89X “The Cutting Edge,” provided Canadian recording artists with an exceptional opportunity to break into the potentially lucrative U.S. popular music market. While the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s nationalist policies would prove challenging to implement within the borderlands context and require plenty of compromise, its Canadian content regulations nevertheless further enhanced the gateway radio opportunity for Canadian recording …