In August 1927, the world watched as Edward, Prince of Wales (later crowned King Edward VIII), and U.S. Vice President Charles Dawes met at the centre of the Peace Bridge over the Niagara River. It was a boisterous, public declaration of a “hundred years of peace.” They didn’t just open a road; they inaugurated an era of continental confidence. It was a handshake in the form of a bridge.
Fast forward to 2026. We are on the cusp of a similar milestone. The Gordie Howe International Bridge, a marvel of modern engineering and one of the most significant pieces of infrastructure in our lifetimes, is nearing completion. But instead of a victory lap, we are met with whispers, a “hush-hush” approach to its inauguration, and a palpable sense of anxiety over the shifting winds of trade.
For the Canadian trucking industry, the symbolism is as heavy as the steel in the bridge’s towers. We represent the “circulatory system” of the North American economy and, right now, that system feels the strain. We feel less like a partner in a grand continental project and more like a child amid a complicated and stressful family transition. We are watching Ottawa and Washington navigate a relationship where the old rules are being rewritten, and we are left wondering if they can still get along like they used to and whether things can ever return to “normal.”
The contrast is striking. We have moved from the era of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and President Ronald Reagan — men who saw the border not as a barrier, but as a bridge to mutual prosperity — to a defensive crouch. Where there was once a “brothers-in-arms” camaraderie, there is now a sense that “something has to give.”
The Gordie Howe International Bridge was designed to be the ultimate friction-remover. It was built to ensure that a part made in Windsor could reach a plant in Detroit with the seamlessness of a single factory floor. It was meant to be the crowning achievement of the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement — a vision that hasn’t just been about tariffs, but about a shared destiny.
As we look toward the official opening, the hope of millions of workers who depend on this long-standing relationship is that Prime Minister Carney and President Trump can look at this bridge as a path back to common ground. We need a relationship that provides the stability and prosperity that have been the hallmark of our shared history.
Stephen Laskowski is president and CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance.
