Work on the new Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain along Windsor’s riverfront is set to begin. Ward 6 Councillor Jo Anne Gignac says crews are getting ready to start the above- and below-ground work. “There was a bit of a hold-up because of the ministry regulations regarding fish habitat, so we’ve got to be very careful to make sure that we comply with the times that we can actually be in the water undertaking all of the things that are required to get the new fountain in place,” says Gignac. She says the community is excited for the new peace fountain. “The expectation is that it will be in the summer of ’27, and believe me, there have been a lot of people asking about the fountain and when it will be in place again,” she says. “It’s a popular place.” Gignac says while the work is going on, the city is carefully making sure that people will still be able to walk through the park. “For the most of the year that it’s going to take to get the underground work done and then drop that new fountain in, we’re trying very hard to make sure that the pathways are open through the whole process,” says Gignac. “They’ll be narrowed, especially right in front of the cove where the fountain sits, but people will still be able to stroll through.” The original goal was to have the peace fountain up and running by September 2026, but the city did say last November it could be delayed until 2027. Gignac says residents in the area did receive notification from the city about the upcoming work. In November 2024, city council approved a $10.5 million plan to replace the Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain with a new floating fountain, very similar to the previous one, installed in the Detroit River at the foot of Reaume Park at 236 Pillette Rd. along Riverside Drive. The Charles Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain was installed in 1978 in honour of Brooks but was removed for good in September 2023 due to age-related maintenance issues. Charles Brooks, the former president of the United Auto Workers Local 444, was shot and killed at the union hall on Turner Road in 1977 by a disgruntled Chrysler worker who had lost his job.
