What Makes Amherstburg Great: Amherstburg Picture A River Town (Book)
- April 9, 2026
Guest Content Creator: River Bookshop
Today Amherstburg is one of Ontario’s great small towns, but greatness doesn’t happen on its own. Nature, history, and human actions always play a part. Amherstburg’s location right beside the Detroit River originally made it an important place and adds to its beauty to this day. From the War of 1812, to Freedom seekers escaping slavery in the United States, and Rum Running – history has left its mark! But so have the creativity, hard work, and enthusiasm of its residents.
During 2026 we are going to shine a light on what we think makes Amherstburg great. Our hope is that this new series helps you get to know the town better, support its many businesses and attractions, and become a strong, positive champion of the town. Look for our first story in our next Buzz.
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AMHERSTBURG: PICTURE A RIVER TOWN
“Picture a river town. Walk its morning streets, trace the slant of dark shadows as they lengthen with the sun’s movement, and much later at twilight feel the tungsten glow as storefronts light up one by one like voices in a choir. Finally, settle back on a bench and only then understand why the river eases and lets go and sleeps in a dark blue dream under a fading summer sky.”
There is a pride in Amherstburg. But it’s not always loud. It shows up in our public places…our shop…our festivals, our heritage…and in this new book.
Poet, photographer, Windsor’s first Poet Laureate, and publisher of Black Moss Press – Marty Gervais has a new book that tells the story of Amherstburg through beautiful photos and the stories of its people. You may have seen Marty walking around town these past many months. With his camera in hand, he took hundreds of photos, often of special places we may have never seen or with time have forgotten. It’s a beautiful book that has captured a poet’s eye and camera. It also highlights many of the things we are shining a light on in our What Makes Amherstburg Great campaign.
Amherstburg: Picture a River Town goes on sale, exclusively at River Bookshop, on April 9th. You can also meet Marty, hear his story and see the book’s many beautiful photos at one of these events:
River Bookshop: April 9th at 6:30PM
Hotel STRY: April 19th, at 2:30PM
Currently the River Bookshop event is booked up, but you can still buy signed copies downstairs during the event. Hotel STRY event has spots remaining, and we encourage you to check it out if you want to see Marty’s presentation.
Like Heritage Buildings of Amherstburg we believe Amherstburg: Picture a River Town will spread the word about how special Amherstburg is to live in and visit. You can listen to an interview with Marty on CKBG 107.9 FM this Saturday or Sunday at 8AM and get the chance win free copies of his book.