Duck draws crowds, bridge draws questions as Windsor Jeep celebration turns attention to Gordie Howe Bridge

A giant rubber duck may have been the main attraction along Windsor’s riverfront Wednesday, but with the Gordie Howe International Bridge set to open later this month, the conversation quickly shifted to the region’s newest international crossing.

A giant rubber duck may have been the main attraction along Windsor’s riverfront Wednesday, but with the Gordie Howe International Bridge set to open later this month, the conversation quickly shifted to the region’s newest international crossing. Jeep Canada celebrated the brand’s 85th anniversary by placing a 40-foot rubber duck in the Detroit River beneath the Great Canadian Flag, drawing Jeep owners and curious onlookers to the waterfront. The event featured current and classic Jeep vehicles, live music, and commemorative rubber ducks for the first 1,000 attendees.

While marking the milestone, Stellantis Canada President Trevor Longley also reflected on the significance of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is scheduled to open to motorists and commercial traffic on July 27. “This is a major trade artery between two giant trading partners,” Longley said. “Making sure that we have back and forth access that allows for this smooth flow of goods, it’s incredibly important.

We’re excited about the infrastructure opening.” He called the bridge “important for both countries” and “a huge win in terms of infrastructure.” Longley said Windsor was a fitting place to celebrate Jeep’s anniversary because of the city’s longstanding ties to the company.

“It’s home for us here in Canada,” he said. “When you think about our engineering that goes into the Jeeps that we build, when you think about our head office being here ... these are all points of historic connection for us. It makes this the right location.”

The celebration also recognized the Canadian origins of the popular “Jeep ducking” tradition, in which Jeep owners leave rubber ducks on one another’s vehicles. “During the COVID time frame, a Canadian, just east of the GTA, came up with this gracious custom,” Longley said. “It’s gone not only across Canada, but globally.

It’s become connected and synonymous with Jeeps overall.” Many attendees also looked ahead to the bridge opening. “I don’t even know when I’m going to go over and cross there, but I’m excited,” said Windsor Jeep owner Trish Ludwig.

“That’ll be fun.” Bernice Potvin said she’s looking forward to using the bridge’s multi-use path once it opens. “You can ride a bike now, so that I would be interested in,” she said.

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced on Wednesday that the bridge will open to commuters, commercial carriers and other motorists on July 27, while the multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists is scheduled to open Aug. 5 . The bridge opening, however, continues to spark political debate after the federal government announced it had reached an agreement with Michigan to finalize operations of the crossing but has not publicly released its details. Essex MP Chris Lewis is among several Conservative MPs calling on Ottawa to release the agreement before the bridge opens.

“At the end of the day, what Canadians really, really need to know is just tell us what the agreement is. Just show us what the agreement is,” Lewis said. Lewis said he supports opening the bridge but believes Canadians deserve greater transparency.

“I still am very much in support of the bridge moving forward,” he said. “What I want to do is make sure there’s open, fair transparency, and accountability and a full costing of the bridge. “The very least that the citizens of Essex-Windsor and all Canadians deserve to know is how much are we losing.

Yes, of course, I’m going to be in full support of opening the bridge, but at the same time, just be honest and transparent.” Lewis also said he hopes the new crossing helps strengthen the regional economy, while urging the federal government to continue working toward a renewed Canada-U.S. trade agreement. “What I’d really like to see is our businesses, our small and medium-sized businesses survive,” he said.

“This bridge opening is really important, don’t get me wrong.” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens has defended the agreement , saying the bridge’s long-awaited opening will strengthen trade and improve cross-border travel, while emphasizing the importance of finally getting the crossing into service after years of construction. With less than two weeks until opening day, Wednesday’s celebration offered a light-hearted reminder of Windsor’s ties to the Jeep brand, while underscoring the anticipation and lingering questions surrounding the region’s newest international gateway.

More photos of the event are available in CTV Windsor’s photo gallery.