WINDSOR, Canada — Canadian officials gathered Friday at an inauguration to celebrate the long-awaited opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is set for Monday and has been hailed as a vital economic link between the United States and Canada.

The event is taking place after six months of delay caused by political drama and trade tensions, eight years of construction and more than two decades since the span connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario was first proposed. You can watch it live here.

The bridge will officially open to traffic “as early as” noon on Monday, according to a news release the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority distributed before the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The bridge’s toll-free pedestrian and bicycle lane is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. on Aug. 5.

Officials gathered in front of the podium for a symbolic ribbon-cutting after about an hour of remarks. There were no jumbo scissors on hand, but rather smaller, personal pairs for everybody. The ceremony concluded after that.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, who has been an outspoken critic of U.S. President Donald Trump’s monthslong delay of the bridge opening, alluded to the American president during his remarks.

Earlier in the week, Dilkens said he texted Murray Howe and asked who his dad might want to check into the boards of a hockey rink today.

"He didn't answer, but I think we all know who that person might be ... if Gordie was going to check one person into the boards,” Dilkens said, without mentioning Trump.

"I've never been more excited about the future of our community than I am today. It is all of these things happening and coming together. They're coming together, and we're standing together," he added. "We're standing against uncertainty, against threats, against bullies. We're united as Windsorites. We're united as Ontarians, and we're united as Canadians."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford called the bridge "an incredible symbol of the potential and opportunities that await workers and families on both sides of the Detroit River."

Despite noting Gordie Howe’s infamous elbow jabs on the ice, Ford didn’t throw any sharp elbows at Trump, like he’s done in the past. He acknowledged the tensions but mostly focused on teamwork and shared priorities between the United States and Canada.

"Just look at the relationship we enjoy with our friends on the other side of this bridge in Michigan. And I want to emphasize: I know Canadians love Americans, and I know Americans love Canadians, and that bond will last for another over 200 years," the premier said.

"Our relationship has been challenged over the last few years, and President Trump has threatened new tariffs just this month," Ford added. "But Team Canada has never been more united. And I want to make it clear: Working with Prime Minister (Mark) Carney will never stop standing up for Ontario and for Team Canada."

He continued: "Ontario will be ready to respond to any new American tariffs. We will not back down and will negotiate from a position of strength as a top trading partner for more than half of the United States, because I know that both Canadians and Americans are better off when we work together instead of standing apart.

"That's why it is so fitting this bridge is named in Gordie Howe's honor. He was a symbol of cooperation and success in both our countries, and he was an absolute champion with deep roots on both sides of the border. Born and raised in Canada, Gordie built a legacy in Detroit, and that exemplifies the shared history of our two great jurisdictions."

Gregor Robertson, Canada’s minister of housing and infrastructure, said, “This bridge is a game-changer, just like Gordie Howe was in his day.”

Chuck Andary, interim CEO and chief legal officer of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, welcomed guests who came to celebrate “one of the most significant infrastructure achievements in Canada’s history.”

He began his remarks with an acknowledgment of indigenous peoples. The Gordie Howe Bridge sits on traditional Anishinaabe Territory, specifically the lands of the Three Fires Confederacy (Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations). The land also served as a place of refuge for the Huron-Wendat people, Andary said.

Nikki van Oirschot, the elected chief of the Caldwell First Nation, also delivered a blessing.

Lisa Citron, a Canadian Border Services Agency officer, then sang “O Canada,” the Canadian national anthem.

Mark Howe, 71, who had a 22-year professional hockey career, traveled from his home in New Jersey for the event and was joined by Howe members.

While Mark Howe said it was a “super special” day for the Howe family, he lamented that he was among the few Americans invited to attend.

“It’s disappointing on that end, but politics are politics,” Howe told reporters. “I think over the long term, it will get worked out.”

“But believe you me, it will not take away from any of the excitement and the joy that the Howe family is experiencing here today,” Howe added.

The Gordie Howe Bridge will feature three lanes in each direction, plus emergency lanes in each direction, which should keep traffic flowing in the event of an accident or medical emergency that can grind traffic to a halt on other bridges, said Marie Campagna, chairwoman of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority board.

The bridge is slated to have the cheapest commercial and passenger tolls in the region.

It has six bridge lanes and 16 toll lanes, plus another 60 Canadian and U.S. inspection lanes. About 15,800 people worked a combined 20.1 million hours to build the new span since the construction began in October 2018, according to the bridge authority.

The project cost a combined $6.4 billion in Canadian dollars. That's about $4.54 billion in U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

Trump is scheduled to be in Michigan on Monday when the bridge is scheduled to open, but he plans to visit the General Motors Co. proving grounds in Milford in a separate event.

A first bridge ceremony, set for June 12, was canceled 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 15-year split of any toll profits with the U.S. to benefit economic development efforts on the American side of the Detroit River border. Carney called it "a good deal for Canada."

The Gordie Howe Bridge, named for the Detroit Red Wings hockey legend, has been in the works for more than 20 years and was largely planned during the administration of former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican.

Before the Gordie Howe Bridge, there was only one commercial road crossing between Detroit and Windsor: the privately owned Ambassador Bridge. The operators of that crossing recently reduced passenger tolls to become more competitive with its new, publicly owned competitor.

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