Canadian leaders are firing back at former U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise threat to block the opening of the nearly completed Gordie Howe International Bridge – a critical trade artery handling 25% of bilateral commerce between the two nations. The Windsor-Detroit crossing, set to open this year, now faces political turbulence. 💥
"It’s just insane," Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told reporters on February 10, 2026, calling Trump’s demand for 50% ownership "another speed bump" harming both countries. The $4.7 billion project, funded primarily by Canada, uses American steel on its U.S. side, countering Trump’s claims of "no U.S. content."
Trump’s Truth Social post earlier this week threatened to halt the bridge’s opening unless Canada compensates the U.S. and grants partial ownership, calling future toll revenues "astronomical." But Canadian Chamber of Commerce CEO Candace Laing warned blocking the bridge would be "self-defeating," urging leaders to "build bridges, not barricades." 🚧
The drama marks a stark reversal from 2017, when Trump and then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jointly praised the project as a "vital economic link." With 2026 trade tensions rising, all eyes are on whether this infrastructure showdown becomes North America’s next big economic battleground.
