ENWIN Celebrates Streetcar 351 History and Science

Educational Partnership with City of Windsor and Public School Board Engages Students

October 24, 2019

Windsor, ON: ENWIN Utilities Ltd. informed, educated and entertained more than 200 students from West Gate Public School, General Brock Public School and Westview Freedom Academy, this past week. Students took part in a celebration of history and science, learning about electricity in our community, through interactive educational activities including kinetic and mechanical energy experiments, examination of electric vehicles, career options in the electricity, water and transportation sectors, a historical re-enactment and video presentations related to Streetcar 351.

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"At ENWIN, we take great pride in helping teachers develop and guide our future leaders," ENWIN President & CEO, Helga Reidel told students during her introductory remarks at West Gate Public School. "We are here to help you learn and understand, achieve your goals and, maybe one day, become a leader in our energy community."

Dr. Clara Howitt, GECDSB Superintendent of Education, acknowledged the value of the partnership that enabled this educational experience for the students.

"The Greater Essex County District School Board values the opportunity to engage with community partners such as ENWIN and the City of Windsor to support and enhance student learning," remarked Dr. Howitt. "This authentic experience allows students to honour the past and stimulate creativity for future innovations."

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ENWIN representatives including Roger Bastiaan, Sylvia Caruana, Colin Hicks, Suzanne Leonard, Barbara Peirce Marshall, Dragan Savic and Tiffany Stojkovski guided the learning experiences at carrousel stations.

A historical re-enactment was a highlight of the elementary sessions, with local artist Laurie D'Alessandro and public transportation historian Bernie Drouillard guiding the play. The children dressed up in period costumes to perform as passengers of Streetcar 351 in the 1920s.

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Students also viewed an excerpt from a soon-to-be-released educational video, produced by ENWIN. The upcoming video will explore the history and restoration of Streetcar 351, in the context of the electrification of vehicles. Students were amazed by the story of how the streetcar was hidden, found and ultimately restored, as a marker of our past, present and future.  Click here to view the preview of ENWIN's Streetcar 351 video.

"We thank the City of Windsor for inviting us to be part of the streetcar project," said Barbara Peirce Marshall, Manager of Communications at ENWIN, in closing remarks. "We are grateful to the Greater Essex County District School Board, our friends from the arts community and our colleagues from the City for volunteering their time and expertise to make this a truly powerful event."

Event Recap Video - West Gate Public School

Event Recap Video - Westview Freedom Academy