Community leaders, including Mayor Drew Dilkens, MP Harb Gill, Mayor Hilda MacDonald and Dr. John Hartig with cyclists at the morning kickoff celebration of the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure at the University of Windsor, Ont. on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Lindsay Charlton/ University of Windsor)
Lindsay Charlton
If you build it, they will come.
And so they did.
More than 100 cyclists from across Canada and the United States met at the University of Windsor last month to experience the newest addition to the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
Hailing from communities including Cornwall, Thunder Bay, Ohio and even Florida, cyclists in the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure left campus in packs of 10, officially launching Canada’s newest binational cycling destination.
Dr. John Hartig, visiting scholar at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), attended the morning kickoff celebration on campus and later was stationed at Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park in Detroit, serving as a storyteller and offering cyclists insights into both cities.
“We had so much fun, and they were so appreciative,” he said.
Hartig said it was exciting to see the adventure come to fruition.
It tied into many of the recommendations in a report following the State of the Strait conference held by GLIER at the University of Windsor in 2024, which focused on cross-border trail tourism.
“The Detroit River is the intersection of the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways, so you've got all these incredible birding spots at Point Pelee, Holiday Beach, Ojibway and across the river. You can do cross-border tourism, conservation, architecture and history, things like the Underground Railroad. There are so many things our border region can do that few can duplicate,” he said.
“And now here we are, with the chance to be part of the first organized bicycle ride across the Gordie Howe International Bridge.”
The State of the Strait is a binational Canada–United States collaboration focused on understanding the health of the Detroit River and western Lake Erie and working toward a better future for both.
“We’ve been working on connecting people to nature because if people are disconnected from the outdoors, they're going to care a little about it, right?” he said. “So, the idea is that the more you connect people to the outdoors, give them experiences, give them a chance to make memories, the more they care about it. And those are stepping stones to a stewardship ethic.”
The group travelled to the region for five days of cycling, covering 500 kilometres of riding through Pelee Island, Essex County and Windsor, rolling across the long-awaited bike path of the recently opened Gordie Howe International Bridge.
“Today is very special because we are going to be on the Gordie Howe Bridge, and in our itineraries, we said, ‘we remain hopeful that the bridge will open.’ So, it was a bit of a nail-biter for us, wondering whether it would open. It did, and we are so excited,” said Marlaine Koehler, executive director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, which organizes these rides each year.
The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, a project of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust, is a 3,600-kilometre trail stretching from Quebec along the St. Lawrence River and connecting all of Canada’s Great Lakes.
The Lake Erie expansion was added in 2013, fulfilling the vision of trail founder and former member of Parliament David Crombie.
“Now it's over 12 years later. We can't get over the changes that have happened, the investments that have been made in the area,” Koehler said.
“I don't know that locals really appreciate everything that they have here and how we can bundle it together into some amazing experiences.”
The bridge was a big draw for many cyclists taking part in the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure.
“It shows our network doesn't just end in Canada,” said Jordan Bird, mayor of Thessalon, Ont. and an ambassador for the adventure.
“I worked in the aggregate industries, so I managed the operation that supplied a good majority of the sand that went into the concrete for the Gordie Howe Bridge. So, it’s going to be pretty neat, just knowing that my hands touched part of the material that went into the bridge.”
Cyclist Sonya Mangielli said the group has been taking part in the adventure for about 18 years and has completed some incredible rides.
“This one is exciting because it’s the very south of Canada and there’s this new bridge. Being able to cross just on our bikes is a really amazing opportunity,” she said.
The group spent eight hours in Detroit, cycling 35 kilometres around Belle Isle and stopping along the way to take in sights and explore the city before returning to Canada.
“It was great to be able to play a small role in making that a success and following through on some of the recommendations of the report,” said Hartig, who also chairs the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s Great Lakes Way Advisory Committee.
“It's an important project because we want to keep this momentum going on stewardship, the Detroit River cleanup, restoration and everything else.”