Lazare's Furs building and neon sign set for heritage status

The Lazare's Furs building and its 1940s neon sign at 493 Ouellette Ave. are up for heritage designation. Windsor council is set to vote Monday, Nov. 9, on By-law 161-2026 under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Topics: Council and City Hall

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The Lazare's Furs Building and Sign at 493 Ouellette Avenue are up for heritage designation at Windsor City Council on Monday, Nov. 9.

Item 13.6 on the agenda is By-law 161-2026, which would designate the property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The City published its Notice of Intention to Designate on Aug. 26, 2026.

The building

According to the City's statement of cultural heritage value attached to the by-law, the building was built in 1928 as a two-storey commercial building designed by architect Albert J. Lothian, as the head office of the Reaume Organization Ltd. Lazare's Furs bought it in 1941, and architects Sheppard & Masson added a third storey and redesigned the front in an Art Deco style between 1941 and 1944. The business operated there for about 70 years.

The neon sign, built about 1942, spells "LAZARES" vertically and "FAMOUS GUARANTEED FURS" across. The City calls it "a rare surviving example of mid 20th-century neon commercial signage in Windsor."

The redevelopment

At the Development & Heritage Standing Committee on July 6, 2026, the committee received a notice that the owner intends to remove the south and west exterior walls for a rear four-storey addition. Deputy City Planner Jason Campigotto told the committee the limestone façade and the sign "will not be touched."

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