Windsor city council on Monday approved a pilot project for sidewalk patios being open year-round.

John Ansell, who owns the Squirrel Cage on Maiden Lane in the heart of downtown Windsor, thinks it's a great idea.

He moved to Windsor from Toronto and said several "major cities across North America have outdoor patios all year round."

Ansell can remember sitting on a patio in Toronto's Distillery District enjoying wine in front of an roaring outdoor fire on a patio.

"We should embrace the winter and enjoy it," he said. "Why not do it on a patio while sipping on a coffee or a glass of wine?"

Patios and sidewalk cafés were originally scheduled to close Nov. 3, but council continued giving businesses extensions until a decision on the pilot project was made.

There are rules in place. Businesses can't use the patios simply as storage for patio furniture. There must be one heater for every 10 people. And, Ansell said, the patios must be "aesthetically pleasing."

"It promotes visibility, it's security and it just creates a really nice ambiance for the cityscape, I think," Ansell said.

Larry Horwitz, president of Downtown Windsor Business Association, said the move will add more jobs to the economy.

"When patios are in full force in the summer months, people and businesses hire employees in order to wait the tables on the outside," Horwitz said. "Therefore, if you do that in the winter months and it is successful, it can only add to job growth."

Business owners will be responsible for the upkeep of the patios during the winter, that includes snow removal.

Ansell said his patio has remained open. He said he doesn't have "a plethora" of customers, "but one or two [are] having their coffee" outside.

"Things happen slowly, so hopefully with time, it will make a difference," Ansell said.