Community ramps up efforts to save Canadian Club Heritage Centre as mayor heads to Chicago

Tourism Windsor-Essex has launched an online campaign to save the Canadian Club Heritage Centre as Windsor's mayor heads to Chicago to plead with officials not to close it at the end of the year.

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Beam Suntory, the company that produces Canadian Club, announcedits decision Thursday, stating"our commitment to the Windsor community is as strong as ever."

News of the impending closure caused the tourism organizationto create an online campaign with the hashtag#SaveTheBrandCentre on social media for people to share their memories and the significanceof the centre to the community.

On Thursday, Mayor DrewDilkenssaid the building is so important to the area's history he would board aplane Monday to meet with representatives of the company.

"If they walk away from that facility we're going to lose a huge part of the historical bedrock of this community," he explained.

Crowds come for a last look

Tours at the centre were packed over the weekend as people rushed to take a look inside the historic HiramWalker distillery offices before it's too late.

William Lootens said the building is a very important part of Windsor's history, and he hopes it's not the last time he'll be able to tour it.

"I hope the mayor can convince them to keep it open," he said. "It was a very interesting tour, and it's a very historic building. I enjoyed the tour very much."

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Author and whisky judge Davin De Kergommeaux, said he was shocked when he heard the centre would be closing.

"It's the only real Canadian whisky icon," he explained. "As fabulous as the other whiskies are, Canadian Club is the heart and soul."

De Kergommeaux said he was happy to hear the mayor was on his way to Chicago and added he hoped the decision to close could be reversed.

Currently, Public tours are scheduled to continue at the centre until the end of March, but the building will be open for weddings until Dec. 31, 2017.