Self Care & The City
Riverfront Trail - July 2020.
A few years ago, I took an inventory of my life in Windsor and assessed the things I was happy with, the things I disliked, and what I wanted to change. I determined that I loved living downtown, in the city’s most dense, urban environment, but always lamented the lack of access to greenspace and nature. Being close to nature has always been a very therapeutic form of self care for me. I can literally sense the stress exit my body, as I become focused on the wind in the trees and the sunshine on my face. I’ve always been down for a good hike and love being lost in the wilderness (truly). I know that I am not saying anything novel, but I am joining in on the chorus of praise for the wonders and benefits of nature that humans have known to be true through all of history. And while I don’t have any data on hand, I suspect that many people share this desire and also behaviour, especially in light of the pandemic eliminating most usage of our indoor public spaces.
I realized this was a common observation from downtown residents: we lack greenspace in our day to day life (the downtown CIP public consultations highlight this). This was part of the work that I did with the DWCC. Alongside my coworkers (one of which is now doing cool things in Waterloo!), we worked our best to bring more greenspace and outdoor amenities: getting community gardens off the ground, advocating for park redevelopments with more things to do, while also including naturalized spaces in order to support a healthier and more connected downtown.
But then I discovered the Riverfront. I say ‘discovered’ intentionally because I had always known it was there, but it wasn’t until I moved 650 meters from this park along a street with a bike path that directly connected to the bike trails that I really grasped how beautiful and how public this space really is. Living in such close proximity has begun to shape my life in a new way. I suddenly found myself going to sunset yoga classes, going for numerous walks with friends during covid while needing to maintain distance, and incorporating weekly bike rides along the trail. It has made me realize that I never want to live more than a kilometre from the water.
This 6 km stretch of parkland from Sandwich to Walkerville is a heavily used public space (anecdotally by our senior and newcomer populations!) with a municipal mandate and commitment to keep it relatively naturalized and strategically developed solely for public use. This is seemingly rare compared to many other municipalities around the world. It is protected, and subsequently enjoyed, by the public, for the public. (Paradoxically, real estate in the abutting neighbourhoods is some of the cheapest in the city. I will share my thoughts on this in another blog post.)
What I also discovered was that this is not a new phenomenon in Windsor. The Central Riverfront Implementation Plan (CRIP) was an extensive design charette and document that outlined a vision that makes the Riverfront what it is today. It reads, “[t]he majority of the Central Riverfront should be dedicated to the enjoyment of its outdoor setting. … As a significant public asset, the Central Riverfront Implementation Plan is guided by the vision of linking people to their culture and environment” (pages 1-2). Basically, our Riverfront Trail is approximately 75 acres of well-maintained park space along an international border that allows the citizens of Windsor (and beyond) to simply enjoy nature, outdoor amenities, and each other. There is no upfront cost, no expectation, and no set manner of usage.
The Celestial Beacon debate brought this issue to the fore - What do we want for our Riverfront? To develop or not to develop? (This is a false dichotomy, in my opinion.)
Or, in other words: What do we want our Riverfront to say about our city?
I think it says this: Our Riverfront is for the people. It is a collective act of self care that manifests itself in the ongoing enjoyment, care and concern for this particular public space.
I have learned that citizens have advocated to preserve this naturalized environment, to protect it from privatized and commercial interests in order for the public to enjoy its beauty, and to promote it as an asset to our region that we proudly celebrate and utilize as a destination. It has been a passionate act of the citizenry to debate and advocate for this space (which is still ongoing). It’s sacredness comes from the communal understanding that it is not to be taken over by private interests, but instead shared amongst all who visit. The how it will look and be used may be up for debate, but its value as a public asset will not be.
We, as Windsorites, know that we must continue to preserve, protect, and promote the Central Riverfront within the core of our city. It’s a space of protest; it’s a space of enjoyment; it’s a space of entertainment, and its a space for environmentalism. (And it's being copied.)
We know that we need it. Thus, it is an act of self care for us as a collective citizenry to maintain this public space and seek that it reach its fullest potential. We do not often think of the way self care intersects with the urban environment, as we often view this practice as a solo activity. I think our Riverfront broadens this understanding and I felt like I needed to pause and acknowledge it - for myself and for fellow citizens.
I wrote a large chunk of this reflection while sitting on a bench, under a mature Spruce tree that will be torn down, yet replaced by a native species as part of the Celestial Beacon development. In the effort to add to this space, the old must go and the new must come in. I marvel at the peacefulness, the number of cyclists, seniors out walking, and moms with their strollers. There are certainly not as many people as the weekend sunsets, but there is an unspoken sentiment between us as park goers on this quiet Monday:
The Riverfront is Windsor’s crown jewel of collective self care.
And just as we must carve out and protect our own individual acts of self care, we must continually do the same for our Riverfront Trail for and with the Windsor community.
