City council approves land deal for future home of Hiram Walker statue

Windsor city council is moving ahead with the expropriation of land near Devonshire Road and Riverside Drive East which is expected to feature a large statue of 19th-century whiskey tycoon Hiram Walker.

The process started in March after the city solicitor was asked to start work onexpropriation of the land, ownedby Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd.

Discussions to obtain the land between both parties at thetime had previously been unsuccessful.

However, the company recently changed its mind and deemed the city's offer "to obtain the land based on its appraised value of the property of $144,000 plus any applicable taxes" to be acceptable,a council report reads.

Besides serving as the home for a yet-to-be-installed statue of Hiram Walker, the city also hopes to use the land for widening the roadway in the area.

During Tuesday's council meeting, Ward 6 councillor Jo-Anne Gignac noted she had receivedmultiple inquiries from people wanting to know if the land would also be used to introduce apreviously-planned roundabout at the intersection.

However, city mayor Drew Dilkens made clear that would not be the case.

"There will be no roundabout at that location," Dilkens said.

Acapital budget of $1 million has been set aside for the developments at the intersection of Riverside Drive andDevonshire Road. It's unclear if the money will cover the $144,000 needed to acquirethe land. If not, the city said it may dip into funds from its Road Rehab program.