Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Walking the International Bridge Between Sault Ste Marie Michigan and Ontario

The 2.8-mile Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge (Figure 1) opened in 1962 at a cost of $16 million (U.S.) and replaced a ferry service that had connected the twin Saults. The bridge was constructed at a time when cooperation between the US and Canada was the norm. In the previous decade, a joint mega-project between the two countries, the St. Lawrence Seaway, was constructed. Its completion meant ocean-going vessels could travel through the Great Lakes and a series of locks from Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1965, the U.S. and Canada signed the so-called Auto Pact that facilitated the integration of the automobile industry between the two countries. Thirty years later, the U.S., Canada and Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was subsequently replaced in 2020 with the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). At the time of the Agreement’s signing, President Trump declared, “The USMCA is the largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade agreement ever achieved.” He added that it “is a colossal victory for our farmers, ranchers, energy workers, factory workers and American workers in all 50 states.” In June of this year, the President announced that he would like the deal to “expire” immediately, (something the agreement forbids) telling reporters that “we don’t need anything that they have.”

Disruptions in relations between the U.S. and Canada have been a feature of President Trump’s second term in office, beginning with his proposal to annex Canada, followed by imposing a 35 percent tariff on Canadian goods not covered by existing trade agreements, and a 50 percent tariff on steel, aluminum, and copper imports. Canadians have responded to these and other provocations by boycotting American goods and travel to the United States. According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadian residents returning from the U.S. declined by 25 percent in 2025, compared with 2024. It is against this backdrop that the author decided to participate in the 36th annual International Bridge walk in June 2026 to learn more about the role of the bridge in the lives of people on either side of the border.

Bridge Traffic

The bridge is the only vehicular crossing between Ontario and Michigan within a 300-mile radius. After the bridge opened, the number of crossings grew steadily, peaking in 1994 at 3.6 million; since then, the numbers have dropped significantly. Between 2010 and 2019, traffic averaged 1.45 million crossings. Since 2020, further declines have occurred due to Covid travel restrictions, currency fluctuations, and an unofficial Canadian travel boycott of the United States. Total crossings in 2025 amounted to 845,713, a figure well below the long-term average of the previous decade. A May 2015 travel survey for the Bridge Authority, which is responsible for the bridge’s management and operations, found that shopping accounted for 53 percent of all southbound passenger trips, while returning home accounted for 80 percent of all passenger northbound trips.

A partial explanation for the overall decline in bridge crossings is that the populations of each city on either side of the bridge have fallen in recent years. In 1960, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan’s population was 18,722; by 2025 it stood at an estimated 13,083, a 30 percent drop. On the other side of the border, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario’s population almost doubled between 1961 and 1981 from 43,000 to 82,000; by 2021 the population had fallen to 72,000, driven in part by declines in manufacturing employment and an aging population. Recently there is some evidence of a population upturn tied to increased immigration to the area. Nevertheless, fewer people living either side of the border translates into less bridge traffic.

The Importance of Trade

Although commercial trucks represent 7.0% of crossings, they account for over 60% of toll revenue, according to the Bridge Authority. The most prevalent are trucks with five axles, and large rigs with nine or more axles, reflecting the region’s reliance on timber, steel, and other heavy industries. In 2024, a total of 1 billion dollars’ worth of goods crossed the bridge from Canada to the US, while $850 million worth of goods were shipped from the U.S. to Canada (Tables 1a and 1b).

The leading U.S. exports were machinery and vehicles, while Canada’s leading exports were wood products and iron and steel. Not surprisingly, the bulk of Canadian exports are destined for Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, while Ontario is the final destination for 99 percent of U.S. exports. In sum, despite the overall drop in vehicular traffic since the 1990s, the International Bridge plays a critical role in facilitating trade between the two nations.

The Walk

The purpose of the International Bridge Walk, according to its organizers, is to celebrate the long-standing friendship and close ties between the United States and Canada. The Walk’s major sponsors include the International Bridge Authority and the Chambers of Commerce in Sault, Michigan and Ontario. It is held the last Saturday in June as a prelude to Canada Day and Independence Day celebrations in early July, and begins at the Lake Superior State University (LSSU) campus on the Michigan side. Canadians who wish to participate are bussed across the bridge and walk back to Canada, while U.S. participants are bussed back to Michigan after completing the walk. To ease the crossing for the walkers, the bridge is closed to vehicles.

About 1,100 persons assembled in front of the LSSU Arts Center on a beautiful sunny morning; before stepping off, each country’s national anthems were sung and brief remarks were made by officials from either side of the bridge. Sault, Michigan’s mayor told the assembled walkers that, “We celebrate our friendship (with the walk),” while a Sault, Ontario city council member reminded participants that “We are two cities divided only by a bridge and nothing but a bridge.” Then it was time for the walk (Figure 2). At the Canadian Customs plaza, walkers were presented with a certificate of participation. Based on the number of buses required to transport participants back to Michigan, slightly less than half of the walkers originated on the U.S. side.

Conclusions

The International Bridge Walk endures as a symbol of the long-standing friendship between the two communities on either side of the border. The U.S. and Canada have a long trading history and working together, and it’s hoped that this will continue into the future despite recent provocations.