Historic Mackenzie Hall Preservation a Community Endeavour

A partnership to showcase and preserve the City of Windsor’s Mackenzie Hall in Sandwich Town is underway again this year. St. Clair College horticultural student David Piper-Clark will be the latest landscape steward of the historic Mackenzie Hall, a building constructed in 1855 by Alexander Mackenzie, Canada’s second prime minister.

Piper-Clark is the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship provided this year by the Windsor Port Authority in partnership with The Friends of the Court for Mackenzie Hall. He will work alongside City staff to ensure the landscaping around the property is befitting of the treasured landmark.

The horticulture scholarship began in 2016 when The Friends of the Court indicated a need for more attention to the aging property; ivy was encroaching and overwhelming the building, and Virginia creeper was smothering bushes and trees. Between existing City resources and the addition of the horticulture student, the issues were brought under control, and the area has never looked better.

Coming together to make this project a reality are the City of Windsor Parks and Horticulture departments, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 82, St. Clair College Horticulture Program, The Friends of the Court, and Windsor Port Authority.

Quotes:

“Our storied Mackenzie Hall in historic Sandwich Town is one of our community’s true gems. It has been wonderful to see this initiative build on solid partnerships between the City and various community partners, and to watch the spin-off impacts of this work in the neighbourhood. The City has invested significantly in Mackenzie Hall and its surrounding grounds, including Mary E. Bibb Park, over the years, supporting its preservation, restoration efforts, and ongoing programming. This space is a living link between our legal past and our artistic present, as a former courthouse and jail, and a present-day cultural centre. This landscaping initiative has helped improve a special and unforgettable space in the heart of West Windsor that is a key piece of our city’s history. I thank the partners and sponsors for working to create a more welcoming community for all.”
- Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens

“Over the years, this multi-level partnership has been a win for the City and many community partners on many levels. From David’s hands-on learning experiences and the opportunity for the City’s Parks and Horticulture teams to guide the work, to the beautification of the grounds surrounding Mackenzie Hall and the broader positive impacts for Sandwich Town, I’m thankful for the effort, commitment, skill, and vision that has brought this initiative to life in Ward 2 each year. On behalf of City Council, I commend everyone here for their role in helping keep these grounds in the showcase quality they are.”
- Councillor Renaldo Agostino, Ward 3, attending on behalf of Councillor Costante

"For almost a decade, this program has provided our landscape-horticulture students with the opportunity to work with, and be mentored by, the talented and knowledgeable staff of the City's Parks Department. And for the college, it has provided us with the opportunity to work in conjunction with The Friends of the Court to beautify this landmark property for the enjoyment of all Sandwich Town residents — and, indeed, for all those passing along the western entranceway to the city."
- Michael Silvaggi, President, St. Clair College

“Mackenzie Hall's unique historical and locational positioning makes for a great opportunity for a student to practice and hone their landscape maintenance skills. We always seek a student who is diligent and keen, with a great work ethic. Our consideration is also toward someone who can work independently and troubleshoot small issues as they occur; someone whose friendly personality means that he can communicate well with the public and individuals involved with this project. This year's student, David Piper-Clark, exhibits all these characteristics and is positively considered within our department. We have great confidence in his abilities to complete this opportunity with careful diligence, and we know that he will do an outstanding job. As with other students from our college who have been fortunate to participate in such a unique program, we expect that this experience will add to their progress towards a very successful career in horticulture.”
- Sandy MacDonald, Professor of Horticulture, St. Clair College

“We are thrilled to enable St. Clair students to get hands-on experience while at the same time beautifying this historic landmark in Sandwich. Our partnership with the City of Windsor, St Clair College and The Friends of the Court is another example of building community together.”
- Steve Salmons, President and Chief Executive Officer, Windsor Port Authority