Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens has issued a firm warning to Prime Minister Mark Carney: do not accept a bad deal with the United States to open the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. The bridge, which connects Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit, Michigan, was scheduled to open last month but remains blocked by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is demanding trade concessions.
Mayor's Strong Warning
“Please, Mark Carney, do not make a bad deal. We will get through. This bridge is constructed. Play the long game on this,” Dilkens said in an interview. “Don’t let them use this bridge as leverage in any way, shape, or form if it means Canada has to take a bad deal. I’d hate to see that happen.”
The bridge, a six-lane structure with advanced technology, is fully financed by Canada and jointly owned by Canada and Michigan. It is designed to ease bottlenecks in North America’s busiest international trade corridor, but Trump has blocked its opening to seek ownership or financial compensation for the United States.
Economic Impact and Current Situation
Dilkens noted that the existing Ambassador Bridge, operating since 1929, and the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia are currently handling cross-border traffic without backups. However, trade volumes have declined due to Trump’s tariff war against Canada. The Gordie Howe Bridge would provide direct highway-to-highway connectivity and faster clearance for trucks, but its closure is not causing immediate congestion.
“The real issue here is that the Gordie Howe Bridge provides more efficiency,” Dilkens said. “It is a direct highway-to-highway connected bridge, and it’ll have the greatest amount of technology embedded in it such that it should be able to clear trucks much faster than any other crossing.”
According to Dilkens, there have been no direct communications between Windsor officials and Ottawa or Washington since the opening was cancelled. “I know just what I’m reading in the newspapers. It sounds like Secretary Lutnick is the hold-up here, trying to get some money for the United States as a function of the opening of the bridge,” he said.
Political Context
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the bridge would open in early June but later issued a delay to “resolve outstanding issues.” The Trump administration has linked the bridge’s opening to broader trade negotiations. Dilkens urged patience: “It was already delayed a couple of years because of COVID and other delays, and so if we have to wait a little longer for this bridge to open, we can do it. But don’t go on bent knee to the United States and accept a bad deal to get this bridge open.”
The mayor’s comments reflect local concerns about Canada’s negotiating position. The bridge remains closed indefinitely, with no clear timeline for its opening.
