Explorers can head back to Peche Island for the summer.
The City of Windsor has announced that Peche Island self-guided tours start Saturday, June 20.
Anyone wishing to go over can catch a boat ride to the island with admission at $13 per seat.
Each tour runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the final return trip to the marina at 2 p.m. (weather permitting).
Peche Island is an 86-acre island owned by the City of Windsor in the Detroit River and is a municipal park that is accessible by boat.
The island was purchased by Hiram Walker in 1883 before being sold in 1907.
The whisky maker used the island as a summer home, and his buildings included a stable, a large home, a greenhouse, and an icehouse.
Commissioner of Community Services Michael Chantler says going to Peche Island is an amazing escape.
“It’s two kilometres around the island that you can stroll; you feel like you are nowhere near a city. Meanwhile, you’re between a huge metropolis in the U.S. and the full city of Windsor on the other side. Here you are on this beautiful island that has barely been touched over the years and surrounded by nature,” he says.
Chantler says it’s very affordable for people visit.
“There’s the water, there are the birds, and even if you don’t like them, the snakes are there. I know the kids get a huge kick in seeing the snakes when they are out there,” he says. “There is a big bald eagle’s nest on the island right now. We do ask people to stay a little distance away from it, but it’s amazing to see this thing; it has to be three meters across; it’s incredible.”
The Discover Peche Island guided tour will start Saturday, July 4.
The two-hour tour provides a one-hour guided boat tour around the island while learning about its cultural history before stopping for one hour on the island, where there is also a guided two-kilometre walk along the island’s trail.
The Discover Peche Island tours run every Friday and Saturday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. until August 29. Ticket price is $35 per person.
All tours depart from Lakeview Park Marina, 9200 Riverside Drive East. You can book either tour by email at CRBC@CityWindsor.ca or call 519-255-1161.