"Little Tornado Alley" - Windsor, Ontario, Canada

On June 17, 1946 the third largest tornado in Canadian history hit Windsor, Ontario.  It occurred around 6pm in Windsor's Southeast corner, seventeen people were killed and hundreds more were injured.  Witnesses said that the tornado lasted only minutes and they estimated it to be 600 feet across the top and about 100 feet across the base.

Tornado in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
June 17, 1946.

The tornado touched down in Michigan and then crossed the river into the Brighton Beach area of Windsor, crossing into South Windsor and then into Northern Sandwich West which is now known as LaSalle.  It touched down again in the intersection that is known today as, Walker and Grand Marais roads, barely missing the Windsor Airport.  It then touched down in Tecumseh and disappeared over Lake St. Clair.  It was determined it was an F4 tornado, causing F5 damage in certain areas and, that it travelled a path of 60 kilometers.

Windsor was then hit again on April 3, 1974.  Numerous dangerous storms in the US, dubbed as a "Super Outbreak", created an F3 tornado that touched down in Michigan and again, crossed into Windsor.  During the Super Outbreak there were 148 twisters recorded in the US in a 24 hour period.  After crossing the river, this tornado touched down in River Canard and headed Northeast.  This happened at approximately 8pm.  

Tornado in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  

April 3, 1964.

Photo of the Windsor Curling Club

It hit the Devonshire Mall where an expansion was taking place. It gnarled steel framing and toppled a crane.  Then, heading for the Windsor Curling Club.  The Chrysler Blue Broom Bonspiel tournament was going on.  One of the last tournaments of the season and the building was packed full of people.  The tornado ripped off the roof, collapsed walls and then disappeared.

The tornado left a path of destruction of 22 km long and about 200 metres wide.  It was labelled the sixth deadliest tornado in Canadian History.  Total damage was estimated at $1.8 million. In total 9 people lost their lives and 30 people were injured in the collapse of the curling club.  

Leamington, Ontario, Canada
June 6, 2010

Chaos struck when a tornado hit the Southern part of Essex County, on June 6, 2010, very early in the morning.  No one got a good look at the tornado but, the destruction they faced when the sun rose was more than shocking.  Residents could not believe what they were seeing and were puzzled and relieved that no one was injured or dead.  The town of Leamington and it's 30,000 residents faced downed trees, loss of hydro for days, crushed cars and, severely damaged homes and scattered parts of them around the neighbourhood.  The most heavily damaged area was Seacliff Drive located along Lake Erie.

Leamington, Ontario, Canada
June 6, 2010

The tornado was categorized as an F1 tornado in strength.  It left a path of destruction 2 kms long.  Total damage estimates were close to $90 million for the area.  Across Lake Erie, near Toledo, Ohio, a tornado had touched down several hours earlier.  It's path nearly 100 metres wide and 16 kms in length. More than 50 homes were destroyed and numerous lives lost and many more injured.

The area between Windsor and Barrie is known as, "Little Tornado Alley."  Ontario has an estimated a dozen or so tornadoes every year.  The real "Tornado Alley" located in the 

US between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, sees about 500 tornadoes a year.

Near Windsor Airport
June 17, 1946

With Windsor being the thunderstorm capital of Canada, there is always the possibility of tornadoes here.  The most active period being between late May and early August, most often during the afternoon hours.

Another shot of the Windsor Curling Club
April 3, 1964

Fortunately, we have a much better warning system in place.  Credible sources such as Environment Canada's Weather Office and the Weather Network, are now able to track and, relay weather more efficiently, which you should check regularly during bad weather.  It's advised you have a plan in place to protect your family during extreme weather and, keep a survival kit on hand.  

Written By:  Mike Crawford

Media and Youth

Over the course of time, technology has evolved and improved immensely. In doing so, it has altered the lives of billions of people worldwide. Thanks to technology, people of all kinds are able to connect and communicate. Evidently, the evolution and advancement of technology has its perks. However, what effect does this evolution have on society? What effect will it have on future generations?

Social media has been and will continue to be very important to this generation. It seems people pride themselves on how many friends or followers they have on websites like Twitter and Facebook. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In gaining followers and friends on the internet, people are establishing connections which allow them to participate in social networking and keep up on current events. For example, important news and events are often posted to Twitter before being broadcasted on television.

Since today’s technology has so many perks, it is estimated 2 billion people use the Internet each day. There is no denying the effect it has on youth, a 2013 study states that teenagers are viewing friendship, intimacy and social interaction differently. Young people feel sufficient social support by having networks of online friends, even if they may never see them in person. In this, many young people no longer feel the need to go out and meet people or experience life outside of school at all for that matter. If teens are not at home on the computer, they are somewhere else on their phones or other wireless electronic devices. This can cause many problems such as a lack of exercise causing weight gain and other health problems and difficulty communicating with others in person. Needless to say, society’s dependence on technology and social media has become a problem for current and future generations.

Next, not only does social media affect youths ability to go out, participate and communicate with others, it affects their perception of who they are and who they are supposed to be. Before popular social networking sites made their debut, celebrities were able to influence youth via magazines and television. Now, not only are those more accessible, but they have become more common and influential. Sadly, celebrities do not always promote acceptable behaviour and positivity and, even when they do, young people may misinterpret or compare themselves to those celebrities. As a result, this generation may view themselves as inadequate and become anxious or experience other emotional problems due to social pressures and standards set by celebrities in the media.

How can we fix this? How can we help young people find a balance between technology and face-to-face social interaction? The answer is simple, get your child involved in extracurricular activites, allow them to participate in life, have them do things that do not always involve using their phones or their electronics but that encourage the use of their social skills. As for the effect that social media has on young peoples’ self esteem, reinforce the idea that your child is enough, let them know that they are worth it and that they are capable of achieving great things just like the celebrities they like to compare themselves to. There is no reason for your child to feel inferior to someone in the media unless you allow them to. Throughout your child’s development, they will look to you for advice and reassurance. It is up to you, as a parent, to give it to them.