'Canadian celebration' of Howe bridge planned after event with US nixed

Chad Livengood, The Detroit News on Jul 22, 2026

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Canadian leaders are planning their own event on Friday without any American officials to celebrate the construction of the $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge over the Detroit River amid trade tensions with the U.S.

On Tuesday, Canadian leaders told Michigan officials they plan to cancel a joint U.S.-Canada event planned for Friday to celebrate the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge after President Donald Trump leveled new tariffs on America's northern neighbor, according to three sources briefed on the decision.

The scuttling of a two-nation event celebrating the new Detroit River span is not expected to interrupt Monday's planned opening of the bridge, the sources said.

On Wednesday morning, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced a "Canadian Celebration" of the new bridge on Friday morning on the Windsor side of the 1.5-mile span. Gregor Robertson, Canada's minister of housing and infrastructure, will be attending the event, according to a media advisory.

On Tuesday, Canadian officials informed Michigan government officials that the joint Canadian-U.S. event was being canceled, one day after Trump imposed new 50% tariffs on a wide range of goods, including Canadian cement, wine, dairy and hockey sticks.

Instead, Canadian officials were planning to hold an event Friday for Canadians only at the Canadian port of entry in Windsor, according to two of the sources briefed on the matter, who stressed the situation is fluid and could change.

This marks the second time in two months that a planned ribbon-cutting ceremony was called off amid disputes between the two countries. The first one, scheduled for June 12, was called off after Trump administration officials sought to fulfill Trump's demand to get a better deal for America in the bridge jointly owned by Canada and Michigan.

Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's administration agreed to a split of any toll profits for the U.S. for economic development efforts on the American side of the Detroit River border.

Earlier Tuesday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was asked whether she believed there would be further delays to the bridge’s opening.

“I sure hope not," Whitmer told reporters at a budget bill signing ceremony in Southfield.

Whitmer, a Democrat, slammed the Republican president's fluctuating, “capricious” tariff policy and said it was impacting Michigan more than most.

“We are sensitive to all of these capricious rule changes,” Whitmer said. “I do worry about the long-term ramifications of this, but the short-term ramifications are painful for Michiganders. So I was really beside myself to see yet another iteration come out yesterday.”

—Staff Writer Beth LeBlanc contributed.