‘Keep it closed’ — Windsor mayor doesn’t want Canada to accept ‘bad’ trade deal just to open Gordie Howe bridge
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says Canada should not accept an unfavourable trade agreement with the United States simply to secure the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, accusing Washington of “holding the bridge hostage.” The bridge, currently scheduled to open in spring 2026, has become entangled in broader Canada-U.S. trade negotiations, with U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian officials acknowledging that trade issues are affecting its launch. Former Michigan governor Rick Snyder said the U.S. administration could potentially delay the project through the presidential permit process or by withholding staffing for the U.S. customs plaza. “If it means our country has to take a bad deal to satisfy the President of the United States, I would wait until there’s a time when there’s a good deal, because we do have lots of leverage in this country,” Dilkens told AM800 CKLW. “And, the longer he stays in Iran, the more important Canada’s oil becomes.”
