Sandwich Town residents can now enjoy the panoramic views offered by a newly opened pier at Queen's Dock that is dedicated to local indigenous culture. The official opening of the Queen's Dock on the Detroit River waterfront in West Windsor was held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Cultural Significance and Naming
The name The Bezhigoyaak Cultural Pier, which means "waters are becoming one," was recommended and supported by Walpole Island and Caldwell First Nations. "First Nations belong on the waterfront," said Peter Berry, vice-president of operations and harbour master at the Windsor Port Authority, during an opening ceremony Wednesday. "The water is First Nations, the land is First Nations."
Pier Design and Features
The 40-foot U-shaped, steel-framed pier has a wooden boardwalk, track lighting and bollard lights on the entrance pathway. Located at the foot of Mill Street, the pier will also have benches and posted QR codes that can be used with mobile devices to access local First Nations history. The shape of the pier, rather than an original plan for a T-shape, represents the pattern of hunting by Indigenous people, said Berry. After consulting with Caldwell First Nation Chief Nikki van Oirschot and Walpole Island First Nation Chief Leela Thomas, who were at the opening ceremony, the shape was changed to recognize that Indigenous hunters never leave hunting lands in the direction they came from, Berry explained. "First Nations (people) don't go hunt and go back in the same area, they enter from one direction and hunt and fish and go out the other side, so that they're not over hunting the areas they had just been," Berry said.
Funding and Community Involvement
The $2.5-million pier was funded largely through the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Fund, the steel was donated by Atlas Tube, with work from several organizations, including students from St. Clair College, who helped to pour concrete and install rebar. "The college has been absolutely critical in pulling this together," Berry said. Windsor Port Authority President and CEO Steve Salmons said recognizing First Nations history in the area was important. "This small gesture today is an acknowledgement that the First Nations of our region provided a perpetual and thoughtful custody of these waters and shoreline that enables us to enjoy the fruits of leisure and commerce today," he said.
First Nations Leaders' Perspectives
Van Oirschot said the term Bezhigoyaak has "deep meaning." "It speaks not only to the physical meaning of waterways that have sustained our peoples for generations, but also speaks to how we've been able to sustain ourselves as people for generations," she said. "It speaks of coming together as communities, as governments, and as partners in the spirit of respect, co-operation, and a shared purpose." Thomas said the process of partnering with First Nations was appropriate. "To us, truth and reconciliation is not just about seeking input from First Nations communities," he said. "It's about including us in partnerships and various projects, that's what true reconciliation is to us, and we see more and more of that happening."
