Riverside · Windsor, Ontario
Riverside: river-view glass, older homes and main-street storefronts
Riverside was its own town until 1966, strung out along Riverside Drive and the Detroit River toward Tecumseh. It's a long, mixed stretch: older houses, postwar bungalows with big picture windows, homes that look across the water at Detroit, and two main-street shopping strips. We connect you with independent local pros for all of it, from a reglazed picture window to film for glass that bakes in the evening sun.
At a glance
- History
- A town from 1921 until it joined Windsor on 1 January 1966
- Setting
- Riverside Drive follows the Detroit River toward Tecumseh
- Heritage
- A group of properties on the City's heritage register
- Main streets
- Olde Riverside Town Centre and Pillette Village
A town until 1966: Riverside's mix of older and postwar homes
Riverside was incorporated as a town in 1921 and annexed by Windsor on 1 January 1966. Riverside Drive runs for miles beside the Detroit River, and the neighbourhood grew in layers along it: some older houses, then postwar streets of bungalows and two-storeys with big front windows.
That mix brings two kinds of job. The older houses have wood sash and storms, much like Walkerville to the west. The postwar ones have large fixed picture windows, sliders and patio doors, where the sealed units and rollers are what wear out.
Picture windows and patio doors facing the river
- Picture windows: usually one large sealed unit in a fixed frame. When it fogs or cracks, the glass can often be replaced on its own without disturbing the frame or trim. Size, glass type and access drive the price.
- Patio doors: worn rollers and latches are repairs. A door that leaks, sticks after every fix or has a bent frame is the one to replace.
- Glass railings: on a deck or balcony with a view, glass keeps the sightline open where pickets would chop it up.
Solar-control glass and film for west-facing views
Windsor's summers are long and humid, and a window that takes the late-afternoon sun can turn a room into a greenhouse by suppertime. Whatever the view, glass facing west gets the worst of it.
Each of the two fixes suits a different window. Solar-control low-E glass reflects much of the sun's heat while letting the light through, and it makes sense when the sealed unit or the window is being replaced anyway. Window film goes onto the glass you have, cuts heat and glare, and suits a window that's otherwise fine. It's house film, not car tint, and not every film suits every sealed unit, so the pro should check the glass first.
Olde Riverside Town Centre and Pillette Village storefronts
Riverside's two business improvement areas, Olde Riverside Town Centre and Pillette Village, were both part of the City's Main Streets study. The resulting plan's façade program covers storefront doors and windows, and it encourages reopening windows that were filled in. Whether a particular building qualifies is the City's call, so confirm before you plan around it.
For a cracked display window or a door that won't close after a break-in, see storefront glass.
Heritage-listed Riverside properties
The City's municipal heritage register includes a group of Riverside properties: fewer than in Walkerville or Sandwich, but enough to be worth checking. The register marks each as designated or listed. Riverside has no heritage conservation district, so there's no district permit table here. If your house is designated or listed, ask the City's heritage planning staff before changing windows or doors on the street side.
Building permits are the City of Windsor's either way. Same-size replacement usually doesn't need one, though you should confirm with the City; a new or bigger opening, a walkout or a sunroom does. See the City's permit page.
Riverside questions
Can a large picture window be reglazed instead of replaced?
Usually, when the frame is still solid. The pro measures the sealed unit, has a new one made, and sets it into the existing frame. It's often the sensible fix for a fogged or cracked unit in a window that otherwise works. If the frame has gone soft, leaks, or has shifted out of square, price a new window too.
Which glass cuts heat on a west-facing window?
Solar-control low-E glass, which carries a coating that reflects much of the sun's heat while letting light through. It's the choice when you're replacing the sealed unit or the window anyway. If the window is fine, window film is the lighter option. Either way, ask the pro to confirm the product suits your glass, since not every film or coating mixes well with an older sealed unit.
Do Main Streets grants cover Riverside storefronts?
They may. The Olde Riverside Town Centre and Pillette Village business areas were both part of the City's Main Streets study, and the plan's façade program covers storefront doors and windows. Whether your building qualifies depends on the current program terms, which the City sets. Our grants guide explains how to approach it and what the estimates should show.
Are Riverside houses on Windsor's heritage register?
Some are. The register includes a group of Riverside entries, some designated and some listed. Look up your address in the City's register. If it's there, speak to the City's heritage staff before replacing street-facing windows. If it isn't, the ordinary City of Windsor permit rules apply, and same-size window swaps usually don't need a permit.
Are glass railings worth it for a river view?
They can be, if the view is the point of the deck or balcony. Glass keeps the sightline open where pickets would break it up. The trade-offs: glass needs regular cleaning, and the price depends on the length, the height and how the panels are fixed. Ask the pro to confirm the glass is rated for a railing. See glass railings for the options.