Former workers of 'one-of-a-kind' entertainment hub reunite

Elmwood casino employees reunite and reminisce Former employees of the Elmwood Casino gathered Saturday, exactly 50 years after the prominent Windsor location closed.

Former employees of the Elmwood Casino gathered outside their old stomping grounds Saturday, exactly 50 years after the prominent Windsor joint shut its doors.

About a dozen people who held titles such as cook, busboy or lifeguard showed up to take a picture at the former site on Dougall Avenue, which now houses the Brentwood Recovery Home

Mark Brown, the general manager of the Elmwood at the time of its closure, felt ‘bad,’ as he stood outside the building, recalling the day it closed.

“It was very special. One-Of-A-Kind, especially for Canada. There was no other clubs like that in Canada,” he said.

Before its 1974 closure, Brown said there were few locations to watch world-renowned artists such as Tony Bennett, Tom Jones and Paul Anka.

“You name it, we've had them all,” the 94 year old said.

In its heyday, Brown said the Elmwood meant Windsor was mentioned in the same sentence as Los Angeles and New York.

“The Elmwood Casino put Windsor on the map,” he said.

“When [artists] appear on the talk shows, and the host would ask them, ‘So where is your next engagement?’ They would say, Windsor, Canada.”

Brown said the rise in stadiums, arenas and theatres, where fan capacity was much larger, ultimately signalled the downturn of the Elmwood Casino. Artists could make the same amount of money at an arena in one night as they could in a week at the casino, he said.

“The stars became too expensive for us to be able and get them,” Brown said. “So that made it difficult for us to catch up with the entertainment people.”

As he stood next to other former Elmwood employees, Brown noted he felt ‘sad’ as many of his former colleagues, which he had considered family, had passed away.

“Well, I hope people remember because the Elmwood casino provided employment for many families,” he said.

“We brought a lot of money from United States to come and spend that here, and also, the tunnel and the bridge. They relied on the traffic.”