It’s a strange experience to walk out to the southern tip of mainland
Canada.
Look at a map, and you will see Point Pelee jutting out into Lake Erie
in the southwestern corner of Ontario. The map shows a pointy piece of land
hanging there like a tiny icicle off the bottom of the country. Point Pelee – part of Point Pelee National
Park – really is just as the map shows. As you walk out, the land gets narrower
and narrower until it ends in a sand spit. And if you walk out as far as you
can, you can stand there, with your feet in the water, for a moment the most
southerly person in Canada. (Except for anyone on Pelee Island – more about
that later.)
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Point Pelee is one of the things not to be missed if you visit Canada’s
Far South. The area encompasses the city of Windsor, across from Detroit, as
well as the rural areas of Essex County.
It’s a land of farms and food, grapes and wineries and – in season – a
whole lot of migrating birds. And of course warm people who are eager to
welcome LGBT visitors. In fact, says Lionel Kernerman, the manager of product development for Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island Tourism, this area is part of an Ontario
government pilot project this year to develop LGBT tourism in new areas. That
means they are developing tourism offerings for the LGBT market and – among
other things – ensuring that people in the tourism industry get diversity
training.
Comparing Point Pelee to an icicle is a bit unfair. They like to tell
you that this area is on the same latitude as northern California. In practical
terms, it means that this is one of the warmest parts of Canada.
Agri-tourism is big, with a growing emphasis on local chefs using local
foods. (Serenity Lavender Farm, with 40 varieties of lavender, is
a uniquely scented experience.) Wine is even bigger. There
are 18 wineries in Essex County, says Kernerman, ranging from small, artisanal ones
to more developed undertakings. There
are different winery tours possible.
You can tour by car, but if you have a bit more energy Windsor Eats organizes
regular wine trail bicycle rides. There are one or two tours
organized each month. For $50, participants get a guided bike tour to several
wineries, visits, tastings and a meal made with local foods. If you want to buy
wine at a winery, the support vehicle that accompanies the tour will haul it
for you back to the point of departure.
If you’re into bird-watching, you’ll love this area. Point Pelee and
Pelee Island are part of an important flyway for migrating birds; some 400
species pass through, says Kernerman. Check the park website at Point Pelee National Park to find
out what birds will be in transit during your time there.
Pelee Island, by the way, is worth a special mention. Located in the middle of Lake Erie, the
island is about 14.5 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres across and has about
250 full-time residents. It is technically the most southerly inhabited part of
Canada. It’s a world apart, a
quiet place that welcomes visitors when the weather is warm. Get there by ferry
from Leamington (it’s about an hour and a quarter to cross) and you can explore
it by car or by bicycle.
And Lake Erie itself is worth a mention, too. The area has a number of beaches both on Lake Erie and on other bodies of water for people who just want to lie in the sun. (Get a list of local beaches here.)
Windsor is a historic city with an industrial base. The urban area has a
population of over 300,000 and an active LGBT community. You can see Windsor by boat - Windsor
River Cruises operates from April to October, offering scenic cruises
along the Detroit River – or you can see it by bike, on foot, or on Roller-blade
along the eight-kilometre Riverfront Trail.
This year, Windsor is celebrating Pride with a four-day festival August
9-12, says David Lenz, president of the Windsor-Essex Pride Festival Board. This will be the 20th anniversary of
Windsor Pride, and organizers are planning a major festival on the city’s
waterfront. Events include an opening night party on August 9 at Legends, a
local bar, and outdoor celebrations at the city’s Riverfront Festival Plaza on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Lenz says organizers are trying to “mainstream” parts of the festival to
make it attractive to the broader community and to encourage more interaction
with the community. If you’re
looking to go to Windsor Pride, there are packages available in association
with Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino, says Lenz. The “Diva” package includes
one night’s accommodation for two, parking, two passes to the Friday Pride
party and a $25 food credit at a Caesars restaurant and costs $154; The Pride
Package is similar but covers two nights, has a $100 food credit and costs
$388.
Daniel Drolet is an Ottawa writer, a member of Travel Gay Canada and president
of Éclair Communications.
