Aiw
Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 6120 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 7:03 am: | |
Here is today's P.D.J. |
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell
Post Number: 3543 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 9:55 am: | |
Excellent tour AIW - making the tombstones tell stories and Windor history. It brings to mind a question. I know there are a lot of French descendents in the Windsor area. To what degree have they been 'melting-potted'? Are there any districts, ala Quebec, where one could walk into shops or pubs where French is primarily spoken, where kids learn French as their first language? In a way I could see where something like that might have some tourist appeal, the feel of being in another culture. |
Aiw
Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 6122 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 10:09 am: | |
Yes and no. In the city, there are mostly just here and there places. There is a Church that has French Mass on Sundays, French grade school and High Schools. There is a bar called Club Alouette that is predominantly French, but they would speak English to you. Getting further out into Essex County there are a few towns where shop signs are French and that is the predominant language of the town. Pointe-aux-Roches (Stoney Point) on Lake St. Clair and Pain Court near Chatham jump to mind immediately. |
Goat Member Username: Goat
Post Number: 9147 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 10:15 am: | |
You can still speak french in Stony Point, Essex county and be replied to. A few establishments in Belle River also speak french but that is about it. AIW, great work! Did one of your contacts give you a ride in a plne to get the aerial view? As a side note to the Basilian Fathers; The first 3 Pastors and I believe 2 Nuns of Assumption Parish are buried underneath the Church. The Parish was originally located on Bois Blanc Island (Bob-Lo Island) to minister to the Wyandots (Hurons). Incidentally th eland that Assumption has was given to them by the Wyandots. |
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa
Post Number: 683 Registered: 09-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 10:16 am: | |
Aiw and Lowell, my knowledge is fairly limited, but I know that several Essex County Catholic churches offer Sunday masses in French, including Belle River, McGregor, and Stoney Point. I may be wrong but LaSalle, River Canard, Belle River and Stoney Point were all founded as French communities. I know that Belle River still has a strong French population but the town has expended significantly in the last decade and most of its new citizens are Anglophones. I don't know if there are any real "districts" where French is primarily spoken, but there must be several pubs, family restaurants, and shops were French is the primary language. I would think Belle River and Stoney Point would be prime candidates for such places (I don't know how touristy Stoney Point is...). Great tour, Aiw. That cemetary is a bizarre oasis in a bizarre part of town (that corner being the confluence of many distinct Windsor institutions, i.e., the bridge, the university, "chinatown", sandwich, Assumption church). |
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 1042 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 12:02 pm: | |
Fascinating photostory, Aiw. Cemeteries are always a fascinating place. Looks like Assumption is well maintained. |
Aiw
Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 6123 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 12:09 pm: | |
Goat the aerial view is from Microsoft's Live Local Maps. Up in Ottawa, it's quite possible, I'm not too familiar with the county, as I'm kind of an urban type, but I thought the Stoney Pointe church was closed/closing soon. I took some photos out there a while back. I'll have to dig them up and do a PDJ on Stoney Point. |
Aiw
Member Username: Aiw
Post Number: 6124 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 12:10 pm: | |
Ray, agreed, my wife probably thinks I'm crazy, but I love visiting them. When we go to Europe, I always drag her through at least one. |
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa
Post Number: 684 Registered: 09-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 2:20 pm: | |
Aiw, I tried to find an RC church in Stoney Point and I came up empty. That being said, I think the recent controversy covered in the Windsor Star has to do with the closing and sale of the historic church in St. Joachim. |
Beadgrl Member Username: Beadgrl
Post Number: 105 Registered: 07-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 2:25 pm: | |
Love cemeteries. Great pics, Aiw! |
Pam Member Username: Pam
Post Number: 854 Registered: 11-2005
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 3:01 pm: | |
Here is a place with some unusual headstones I was just reading about: http://www.seacoastnh.com/dct/ barrecemetery.html |
Douglasm Member Username: Douglasm
Post Number: 746 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 4:38 pm: | |
Intersting..... My wife and I stumbled on a historical cemetery in Douglas Co., WA which led us on a search (and visit to most) of all the cemeteries in the county. We found this a great resource. www.internment.net Although incomplete it allows for searches by county. |
Jams Member Username: Jams
Post Number: 4541 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 4:51 pm: | |
Cemetery Photography WebRing I discovered a few years ago: http://c.webring.com/hub?ring= cemeteryphotogra Found out my interest in old cemeteries wasn't something I needed to hide. |
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba
Post Number: 4748 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 - 8:24 pm: | |
Good work Andrew. Dead ringers. People are dying to get to Windsor, eh. jjaba. |