By Sara Elliott

With every turn of their pedals across the Gordie Howe International Bridge next year, cyclists will be forging new paths — linking two cities, two countries and a shared story of place and possibility.

A new report, co-authored by University of Windsor visiting scholar John Hartig, explores how the region can harness this opportunity to grow cross-border trail tourism and build connections through shared experiences.

“It’s all about making people feel comfortable and welcome – it is going to be a game changer over time,” says the visiting scholar at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER).

As co-author of the report, Dr. Hartig says this is a once-in-a-hundred-year opportunity to cultivate cross-border trail tourism through meaningful community engagement – and UWindsor is a big part of that community.

“This is about expanding our tourism economy,” he says.

“It is about promoting and celebrating our border cites as great places to live, work and play.”

In October 2024, UWindsor hosted more than 200 people, including faculty, from across Windsor-Essex and Detroit, Michigan for the 2024 State of the Strait: Cross-Border Trail Tourism conference. The group gathered to talk about the opportunities that will come from the new international crossing and this week they issued their findings in the official Fostering Cross-Border Trail Tourism report.

Hartig says the group looked around the world at other examples of cross-border tourism and found that Windsor and Detroit already have key aspects in play that are needed to attract tourists, including the draw of extensive trail systems, unique destinations and compelling experiences.

“For experiences we have the proposed Ojibway National Urban Park, Point Pelee National Park, Belle Isle, the soon-to-open Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park on the Detroit RiverWalk, as well as the history of the underground railroad, First Nations, rum running, the automobile and architecture on both sides of the border.”

“From a GLIER perspective we’re in the intersection of the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways which are crucial for migratory birds, and with 350 species of birds identified in this corridor, there are world-class birding opportunities right in our backyard.”

UWindsor visiting scholar John Hartig co-authored a new report on unlocking cross-border trail tourism through the Gordie Howe International Bridge. (Photo by UWindsor)

The new bridge’s multi-use path will also connect to an extensive network of local, provincial, state and national trail systems in both Canada and the United States.

“There’s Windsor’s 50-kilometre Chrysler Canada greenway, Ontario’s Great Lakes Waterfront Trail and the Trans Canada Trail and on the other side of the border there’s the Detroit RiverWalk, the Joe Louis Greenway which circumnavigates the city, Downriver Linked Greenways, the Iron Bell Trail and The Great Lakes Way of Michigan, to name a few,” he says.

“What an opportunity to create a common trail vision and tell stories about our shared bioregion.”

He notes that to ensure a smooth and welcoming transition, we need to make sure that tourism-related businesses are market-ready.

“We also need to improve cross-border collaboration,” says Hartig.

“Two key organizations are Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island, or TWEPI, and Visit Detroit. They are uniquely positioned to promote cross-border trail tourism because of their missions. They can share information on their websites, develop itineraries and maintain calendars of events, and they should work with organizations like UWindsor’s Centre for Cities and City Institute to develop tours that feature the history, culture, and ecology or our region.”

State of the Straight has been around for 27 years. It brings Canadian and American universities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations together to solve cross-border problems and respond to opportunities.

“UWindsor is a leader with State of the Straight – we host the website, the report archive is housed in the Leddy Library, and faculty have been involved over all 27 years,” says Hartig.

The current Windsor-Detroit crossing is the busiest commercial border crossing between the United States and Canada and is vital to the economies of Michigan and Ontario, as well as Canada and the United States. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to open in fall 2025.