Located between the busiest border crossing in North America and a new international bridge that has yet to open, Windsor’s Sandwich Town is facing uncertainty on the cusp of change, but residents are hopeful for growth and economic revitalization.
“I hope the bridge actually brings in people wanting to come in this area,” said Krystal Lynn Ouellette.
The Sandwich resident has grown up and lived in different pockets of the historic neighbourhood in the last 20 years and says she’s seen it turn from a history rich community into a dilapidated one, with plenty of boarded-up homes.
“It looks slum-like. That’s what it is. It’s a beautiful area, but it doesn’t reflect that.”
The 35-year-old is hopeful that the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which has been under construction since 2018, will be a catalyst for change in Sandwich.
Like other residents who spoke with CBC, she is concerned about the lack of a grocery store and basic services in the town, like post office, gas station and essential businesses.
“I’d hope that they bring more into the area for us,” she said, referencing amenities like a dance studio or more community centres.
“It would be nice to bring in some kind of residential shopping area: a souvenir shop or a historical society or a gallery reflecting our rich history,… since we’ll have more traffic coming through, maybe they’ll have more of a reason to do that.”
While the neighbourhood’s main street, Sandwich Street, has undergone a transformation as a result of the bridge project, Ouellette said the community is “not anywhere close” to being ready with its present infrastructure to become the gateway to Canada.
“The biggest impact with Gordie Howe opening is probably gonna be like the main streets over here. They’re not really structured for busy traffic.… The downside of Gordie would be now, we can’t get across the road.”
The mother of two is worried about the potential increased local traffic becoming a hassle for the kids trying to cross the street. She said busy Sandwich Street already has a problem with people running stop signs.
Going forward, Ouellette, like dozens of other residents CBC News spoke with, wants more stop signs, more crosswalks and “better enforcement” of traffic rules.
Heather Grondin is the chief relations officer at Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Crown corporation overseeing the project.
She said in a written statement that the bridge project has been “designed to allow for free-flowing traffic.”
Unlike the Ambassador Bridge, which brings steady truck traffic through the city on Huron Church Road, the new border crossing connects two highways — Ontario’s Highway 401 and I-75 in Detroit. Grondin says it will remove the need for trucks to use local roads.
“The City of Windsor is responsible for truck use on Sandwich Street. Currently, trucks are only permitted outside the BIA district (Brock to Detroit Street).”
Before buying his house at Sandwich Street, a three-minute drive from the new bridge, in February 2018, Tyler Dwayne McMenemy “had prejudices” about moving there.
That stigma, he said, was soon shattered but he worries that Sandwich still can be seen as “shabby.”
The bridge was a reason, he said, to buy a home there as it would pave the way for economic revitalization.
“Anytime a property is close to something major like the university, it can’t be a bad investment. It’s always at least going to hold,” he said.
“But with the bridge coming in, certainly there’s going to be money poured into the area increasing property values.”
McMenemy hopes the city continues with its beautification process for the neighbourhood.
“Anytime there is a major border crossing between two countries in a neighbourhood, it would be in the best interest of the city to pour money into that neighbourhood because that’s going to be many people’s first impression of the entire country,” he said.
“The Gordie Howe certainly is going to bring in a tremendous amount of traffic. First impressions are everything, so you don’t want people to have a negative experience of the entire country when they come into something that they might view as a little shabby.”
Before the bridge opens, he said he would want the streets and “bumpy” roads fraught with potholes to be kept up.
“I’ve squashed my prejudices due to living here. But if people are just driving through, they might think that things are a little rundown. They see all of the derelict houses and might think of Sandwich a little more negatively.”
The bridge has a $23-million fund for projects to benefit the community, which was split equally between the Windsor and Detroit sides.
Grondin said the direct positive impacts of the bridge “are already visible” in the Sandwich community.
She referenced the redevelopment of Sandwich Street, which saw the reconstruction of over three kilometres of the roadway from the Rosedale Avenue roundabout to the bridge.
“The work involved the installation of new stormwater sewers, sidewalks, street surfacing, new bicycle lanes and the construction of an asphalt multi-use path,” she said.
The project’s community benefits plan also invested $1 million in enhancements within the Sandwich BIA district, she said, including landscaping, hardscaping and gathering spaces to create a vibrant area for residents and visitors.
Grondin said many projects in Sandwich have been or are being delivered collaboratively with over 80 partners.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge offers new opportunities for Sandwich Town and its residents. The project has already invested in enhancements within the Sandwich BIA, in neighbourhood parks, trails and cultural projects,” she said.
“We’re proud to be part of this historic community and hope residents feel pride in this inspiring new landmark.”
As for when the bridge will open, Grondin could not provide a date.
“As with any major construction project, at this stage, it is too early to offer a specific opening date for the Gordie Howe International Bridge,” she said.
