As the completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge draws nearer, groups on both sides of the border are eyeing future tourism opportunities.
A memorandum of understanding was signed by the Trans Canada Trail, Ontario's Waterfront Regeneration Trust Corporation, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to amplify existing trail networks on both sides of the border.
"It says we're going to work together over the next two years in a really focused way and by the time the Gordie Howe Bridge opens we hope to have several strategies that we're going to outline about how we can leverage the potential of this tourism entity," said Eleanor McMahon, president and CEO of Trans Canada Trail.
The aim of the partnership is to link the existing Great Lakes Waterfront Trail to Michigan's Iron Belle Trail and the Great Lakes Way.
“We are so pleased that Trans Canada Trail and the Waterfront Regeneration Trust are joining forces with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Community Foundation to collaborate on a binational trail experience,” said Ric DeVore, president of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. “The Great Lakes Way initiative is about providing access to our amazing greenways and blueways and to connect communities. We are excited about the possibilities of this collaboration.”
When it's completed the Gordie Howe International Bridge will include a toll-free multip-use, two-way path for pedestrians and cyclists to walk or bike across the Windsor-Detroit border.
