A new trade bridge caught in U.S.-Canada politics
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A view of the Canadian side of the Detroit River, and the Gordie Howe Bridge, as viewed from the United States. Henry Larson/NPR hide caption
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Henry Larson/NPR
Millions of trucks carrying billions of dollars worth of car parts, machinery and a long list of other commodities pass checkpoints along one small stretch of the U.S.-Canada border each year.
It's known as North America's busiest land crossing, and it sits between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
NPR's Don Gonyea recently visited this crossing to take a look at a brand new bridge that sits completed and unopened.
Construction on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, named for the Hall of Fame Canadian-born hockey legend who played for the Detroit Red Wings, began in 2018. It was set to open early this year. That was before President Trump intervened in a social media post.
Trump demanded that Canada share ownership with the United States before he would allow the bridge to open. Months passed. In June, the bridge authority actually scheduled a grand opening. But at the last minute, it was canceled.
Stephen Laskowski is president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance and head of the Ontario Trucking Association. He was about to make his way to the grand opening when he got the news.
"I was heading out. My wife said, 'Your phone's ringing' … it said, don't bother going," Laskowski told NPR.
The Canadian government and Michigan jointly own the bridge. Canada agreed to front the cost of construction and to split the toll fees with the state once the cost has been recouped.
But the president has said that isn't good enough. Some Canadian politicians have suggested the owners of a rival bridge linking Detroit and Windsor are responsible for Trump's interest in delaying the opening. The Moroun family, which owns the Ambassador Bridge, has given millions to Republicans in recent years, including a $1 million donation to a Trump-aligned super PAC.
Gonyea spoke with WDET reporter Alex McLenon, Canadian residents and others to understand how the bridge's closure is rippling across the continent.
Listen to the full story by clicking on the blue play button above.
