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Windsor residents are reacting to a thank you banner that was flown over the Detroit River on Monday.
The nine-by-three-metre aerial banner, which reads “Detroit and Canada are bridged in friendship,” was organized by the Downtown Detroit Partnership (DDP) and Metro Detroit.
Eric Larson, CEO of the DDP, said the gesture is about reminding Windsorites of the importance of U.S.-Canada friendship at a time of cross-border friction.
“What better time than on Canada’s Thanksgiving to recognize and really send an expression of gratitude,” Larson said. “On the U.S. side, we find ourselves saying sorry a lot more than what used to be the custom.”
Windsor residents are being impacted by tariffs on Canada’s automotive sector, with Stellantis saying they contributed to recent layoffs.
In July, tensions, tariffs and delays over the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge meant that only Canadian officials attended the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Larson said that Monday’s banner event is a small gesture in recognizing Canada’s importance.
“It’s just the ability to recognize Canada’s continued consistent leadership,” he said.
Not crossing the border
The banner was flown along the Detroit River both morning and afternoon, and was visible to residents on both sides of the border.
Windsorites expressed gratitude at the gesture but acknowledged that they are unwilling to cross into the United States as trade tensions continue.
Windsor resident Jack Paterson said tensions with the Trump administration have meant that he has avoided crossing over into Detroit.
“The Americans are not our problem, it’s the president and the Republican Party in power,” Paterson said. ” They stirred it up, divided everywhere and it’s unsettling.”
The banner was flown above the Detroit River for Canadian Thanksgiving. (Justin Escoto/CBC)
Despite the tensions, Paterson said he thinks that the banner reinforces the strength of Windsor and Detroit’s unique relationship.
“I’m really moved by it just because we’re not enemies of any kind with the American people,” he said. “We enjoyed for years going over. We have relatives. It’s all connected. We’re all connected.”
Local resident Priscilla Boismier came to the Detroit River to see the banner. (Justin Escoto/CBC)
Similarly, Priscilla Boismier said that while the aerial banner is a positive gesture, she is still hesitant to visit the American side of the river any time soon.
“It’s a nice gesture considering what we’re going through,” Boismier said. “I don’t have a passport. I don’t intend to get a passport until Donald Trump is out of office.”
For another local, Wayne Jahn, the banner is symbolic of Detroit’s attachment to its neighbour.
“Michiganers love Canadians and vice versa,” Jahn said. “We love them. But the situation dictates our reactions, and it’s just too bad it’s that way.”
Once a regular visitor, Wayne Jahn says he hasn’t crossed into the U.S. for two years. (Justin Escoto/CBC)
For Eric Larson, the banner is just a small way in which residents on both sides of the border can be reminded of their interconnectivity.
“We hope and expect this to be a moment in time and we can, you know, return to what has been a very successful, both economically and socially, relationship,” he said.
“It’s about how North America operates as one ecosystem.”
