Our History
Brief History of Windsor Ontario
We are grateful to be practising Islam on land that is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg people of the Three Fires Confederacy (Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa).
First incorporated as a city in 1892, Windsor’s population grew from 21,000 in 1908 to 105,000 in 1928. This rise was almost entirely due to employment offered in the automobile industry.
This was capped by the opening of the Ambassador Bridge (1929), the world's longest international suspension bridge, and the Detroit-Windsor Auto Tunnel (1930), the only international vehicular tunnel in the world.
In 1965, following the signing of the Canada-US Auto Pact, employment was high and immigration increased. The city began to take shape and developed into how we see it today.
The First Mosque in Windsor
Muslims began immigrating to Essex county in the early 20th century. In 1950, the Windsor Muslim community consisted of 20 families.
In 1956, the community officially started the Windsor Islamic Youth Association, Windsor's first mosque. By 1960, the name was updated to Windsor Islamic Association. This was a space for Muslims to pray, socialize, and grow.
In 1993, we completed construction of the Windsor Mosque
Thank you to all the amazing and wonderful people that helped bring us to our home. Your contributions and humility are gracious examples for all.