Windsor, Ontario offers a variety of bars and a large casino close to Bowling Green, but one of the biggest reasons as to why it is so popular with students is the legal age to participate in these activities.
With Canada’s legal age to drink and gamble being 19, many students, especially those under 21, travel north of the border to Windsor to enjoy themselves.
The trip from Bowling Green is approximately 85 miles – making it very convenient for students to travel without spending a whole day driving.
Kyle Metzger, junior, has visited Windsor on several occasions, mainly to drink while being under 21. He plans to continue visiting because of how close and easy it is to get there.
“The drinking age is 19 so it is the main attraction for people under 21 to go up there,” Metzger said. “It’s pretty convenient and easy to get to. Nothing too difficult.”
With so many students traveling north, not only from Bowling Green, but also from other universities, Windsor offers close to 30 hotels in or near the downtown area to accommodate an overnight stay.
One of the more popular hotels in Windsor, the Days Inn, offers many attractions appealing to students. If there are at least four people in the party, the Days Inn charges $30 for a hotel room, VIP access into several bars and clubs without waiting in lines, free parking, free breakfast and other advantages.
Sales and marketing manager of the Days Inn at Windsor, Voula Dikaliotis, knows students will want to visit Windsor for the gambling, drinking and package hotel offers.
But what really sets Windsor apart from other cities is the safety it provides, she says.
“Our downtown is very safe compared to larger U.S. cities,” Dikaliotis said.
She also notes the atmosphere Windsor provides. Some of the main attractions are riverfronts with trails overlooking Detroit’s skyline, outdoor cafes, shopping and a large center of culture and history including an Underground Railroad Memorial.
Even though the culture might be overwhelming, students’ main attraction will most likely be the bars and clubs – especially if they cannot do this in the United States.
Students like Metzger think 19- and 20-year-olds have little to worry about drinking in bars at Windsor because, unlike the U.S., it is legal in Canada.
“The ability to drink without the fear of getting caught and being underage is why people go to Windsor,” Metzger said.
With having a lot of students in Canada at any given time, problems can arise from people getting out of control by drinking too much.
Sgt. Steve Dickson of the Windsor Police Department knows a lot of young people visit Windsor and they have the potential to cause trouble for the city.
“We have a lot of problems with young people downtown,” Dickson said. “I would imagine a lot of the young kids in the U.S. [would] take advantage to drink legally in Windsor.”
Although young people might get out of control, he said they do not cause more trouble than the average person in a bar.
“There are problems with all kinds of people in downtown and in the casino,” Dickson said. “We don’t have too many problems with young American kids in Windsor.”
Windsor is very popular to University students and sometimes those who visit go back numerous times.
Even if a student hasn’t been to Windsor, they have most likely heard about it from the number of students who have.
“[Windsor] is very popular with college students,” Metzger said. “Pretty much [if you ask] anyone on campus if you have been to Windsor, they would know what you are talking about.”
Although the trip is convenient for most, problems might arise from new U.S. regulations entering a foreign country.
According to the U.S. State Department, those who plan on traveling to Windsor after Jan. 1, 2008 may be required to carry a passport to gain entrance into a foreign country – either entering the U.S. or Canada.
This means students who do not have a passport and plan on traveling to Windsor after the first of the year will have to purchase one to ensure entrance into Canada.
