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Or sign-in if you have an account.Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks at the opening ceremony on July 24, 2026, for the Gordie Howe bridge connecting Windsor, Ont. to Detroit in Michigan. Photo by TREVOR WILHELM /WINDSOR STARCanada celebrated a new era of cross-border trade today with a ribbon cutting — and a hockey game — on the long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorMore than 25 years in the making, the 2.5-kilometre span between Windsor and Detroit named after a hockey legend is expected to welcome traffic at noon on Monday.“It’s great to be here today with so many of you to celebrate this incredible opening of more than a bridge,” said Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, the bridge behind him.“Today, we are here to celebrate this opening of big opportunities for workers, big opportunities for businesses, and maybe most importantly of all, big opportunities for the communities on both sides of this Detroit River.”SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againWearing an enamel pin with his father’s jersey number 9 on his left lapel, Dr. Murray Howe invited roughly 30 of his relatives to join him on stage.“This bridge will serve as an unmistakable symbol of the priceless bond and true friendship between the people of Canada and the people of the United States, between communities and between nations,” Dr. Murray Howe said.“In 2015, when it was announced that the bridge would be named after our father, I showed Mr. Hockey some renderings, what the bridge would look like, and where it would be built. In classic, humble Gordie Howe fashion, he just smiled and said, ‘Well, that sounds pretty good to me.’“As a family, we are so grateful that our family was able to experience such a profound expression of love, reverence, and gratitude in the twilight of his light. We are truly humbled by the immensity of this bridge, and even more so by the immensity of this honour.” Marty Howe, son of hockey legend Gordie Howe, wears his father’s hat at the ceremonial opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Friday, July 24, 2026. WINDSOR STAR/DAN JANISSEThe bridge creates a highway-to-highway connection between Ontario’s Highway 401 and Michigan’s Interstate-75 along a corridor where roughly $300 billion in trade flows between both countries each year.With six lanes, 16 toll lanes, and 60 Canada and U.S. inspection lanes, the crossing was built to streamline the flow of commercial and passenger traffic with enhanced security.“May this bridge serve not only as a pathway for commerce and travel, but also as a symbol of friendship, understanding, and cooperation between nations who all cross it,” said Nikki van Oirschot, chief of Caldwell First Nation.“May we continue to build bridges not only of steel and concrete, but also of trust, respect, reconciliation, and lasting relationships for the generations who walked before us, for those gathered here today, and for the children who will inherit what we leave behind, may our footsteps continue in a good way.” Members of the Caldwell First Nation mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge with a drum ceremony on Friday, July 24, 2026. WINDSOR STAR/DAN JANISSE Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor StarDozens of members of the media attended the ribbon cutting, including many from Michigan. American dignitaries were excluded from the celebration after U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday signed proclamations imposing new 50 per cent tariffs on a long list of Canadian exports.“I know Canadians love Americans and Americans love Canadians, and that bond will last for another over 200 years,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who called Windsor his “favourite town.”“I know that both Canadians and Americans are better off when we work together instead of standing apart.”Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens called the bridge opening a “defining moment” for his community and said it would position the region “at the centre of a new era of trade, tourism, investment and long-term prosperity.”“This bridge has risen up against ever-shifting backdrops of uncertainty,” Dilkens said, including a global pandemic that made crossing the border “impossible,” and a trade war with the U.S. “that has amplified all that this bridge stands for.”Construction on the bridge began in October 2018 and involved more than 15,800 people and 20.1 million work hours.It’s the first new crossing between Michigan and Ontario in more than 60 years. Its 220-metre (720-foot) towers are among the tallest structures in the region, and it is the longest cable-stayed bridge on the continent.In a written statement, Marie Campagna, chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, said her organization is “honoured and immensely proud” to welcome the first travellers across the Gordie Howe.“This historic milestone reflects the vision, determination, and collaboration of countless individuals,” she said.“With profound gratitude, we recognize the staff, workers, partners, supporters, businesses, and community members whose enduring contributions have transformed an ambitious vision into a lasting connection that will unite communities, strengthen economies, and serve generations to come.”A toll-free multi-use path on the bridge is expected to open to walkers and cyclists on Aug. 5 at 8 a.m. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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