The University of Windsor’s Leddy Library and School of Creative Arts will be featured on the Doors Open Windsor tour this weekend.

Leddy will highlight its archives, rare books, and special collections on Saturday, September 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and SoCA’s home in the newly restored downtown Armouries building will be open to the public on Sunday, September 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Included in the Leddy collection is a book written in Latin by Carlo Fontana and printed by the Catholic Church to commemorate the construction of the Vatican prior to 1694, and there is shelf upon shelf of Land Registry records for Kent, Lambton and Essex Counties. Nearly 5,000 large volumes dating as far back as 1855 are on loan from the Archives of Ontario.

The University repurposed the Armouries through an extensive restoration process that preserved the look and feel of the original building that was built in 1900-02. The Armouries now houses 12 practice rooms for musicians, a performance hall, classrooms, offices, a keyboard and computer lab, photography and painting studios, and the VABE (Visual Arts and the Built Environment) studio.

Architect for the renovation project, Craig Goodman, principal at CS&P Architects, will also be on hand after noon to meet visitors.

Doors Open Windsor includes more than 30 sites this year, including old and new buildings, and places that represent the history of the community. The Ontario Heritage Trust works with communities across the province to stage the two-day event. There is no admission charge; more information is available at doorsopenwindsor.com.

The University will also participate in Open Streets Windsor, which will close an eight-kilometre length of city roadways to vehicular traffic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, September 23. From Sandwich Town to Ford City, people will pour into the street for healthy and fun physical activities like walking, cycling, yoga, dancing, and fitness.

A hub on University Avenue at its intersection with Patricia Road will feature:

• Hands-on activities organized by Let’s Talk Science;
• Tours of the Campus Community Garden providing free mint tea;
• Demonstrations of applied science by engineering students;
• Fitness and games run by Lancer Recreation;
• A community paintball art project of Assumption University Campus Ministry;
• Law students offering information on their project helping low-income seniors draft their wills; and more.

Students of drama and creative arts will participate in the downtown hub, where the University of Windsor Alumni Association will distribute swag and promotional materials.

Find more information, including maps and a detailed list of activities, on the Open Streets Windsor website.