“We are still benefited by the fact that much of our binational region has one of the unique unifying aspects, and that’s sports,” Larson said.

But he said Canadian fans last year were more reluctant to publicly express their support for Detroit teams.

“I think the interesting thing is that while there are still season ticket holders and individuals buying tickets to various sporting and entertainment events, they are less likely to post about it. They’re less likely to acknowledge the time that they’re spending here,” Larson said.

Canadian statistics showed that same-day visitors to the United States (such as those who cross the border to see a hockey or basketball game) declined more than overnight visitors. Same-day visitors declined 30% from 18.8 million in 2024 to just over 13 million in 2025.

Larson emphasized that Canadians who visit Detroit to see a game or concert spend money at local businesses in and around downtown, such as restaurants, bars and retail venues.

“Every individual that decides not to attend an event … is not just the loss of the revenue for that facility, but it’s typically the loss of the time that they spend. They typically are here to have dinner first or after, so there is definitely a carry-over onto that,” Larson said.

Canadians fear ICE, ‘political tensions’

Two other Ontario residents who spoke to The News in downtown Windsor cited U.S.-Canada political tensions, more aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the Trump administration’s anti-transgender policies as reasons they stopped crossing the border to visit Detroit.

Trevor Leeder, 26, a Windsor resident who has dual U.S. citizenship, said in a typical year he would travel to Detroit multiple times to visit family, attend concerts and eat at local restaurants.

“This year, I haven’t been at all,” Leeder said. “This year, it seems like there’s a lot of political tensions rising. It doesn’t seem like a safe space.”

“I know a lot of Canadians just hate Trump, especially after what he said about annexing Canada,” he said. “I don’t like that rhetoric either. For me, a big issue is ICE. It just seems like a rogue gang of untrained men with guns.”

He has a more personal reason to worry about cross-border travel, too. Leeder said his brother is transgender and worries that if he crosses into Canada, he might not be allowed back into the US.

“It feels precarious to go visit Detroit at this time. It’s something I miss,” Leeder said.

Kait Zeller, 35, said she used to go to Detroit “regularly, every other weekend to see a game or a concert or go shopping.”

Zeller, a law clerk who lives in Leamington, Ontario, liked to shop in Detroit because “the prices have always been a lot better” than in Ontario. She used to have season tickets to the Red Wings and said she enjoyed watching all the Detroit sports teams.

Zeller said she hasn’t visited the U.S. since 2018.

“I don’t recognize the country anymore. … The current administration needs to go,” she said.

Zeller said it’s unfortunate that tourism has declined, but “now, my friends don’t want to go over to Detroit either.”

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Canadians reasons on why fewer are crossing over the river to Detroit

Canadians reasons why fewer are crossing over the river to visit Detroit

Michigan-Canada business relationship remains strong

While tourism-heavy regions in Michigan felt the impact of fewer Canadian visitors acutely, the trade relationships between the state’s manufacturers and partners north of the border remain strong, the Michigan Chamber’s Alaimo said.

“You have coastal communities that care more about tourism and about making sure you have out‑of‑state visitors, whether from Canada or the Midwest, visiting those areas and spending their money there,” he said.

But overall, Alaimo said, “this just underscores the importance of having a strong regional partnership, of having strong trade relationships with Canadian provincial governments like Ontario, which Michigan does an incredible amount of business with every year.”

Those ties are strengthened by the supply chains in the automotive and chemical manufacturing industries, which often send components back and forth across the border to make a single product.

“Obviously, in Michigan, we have a lot of important interconnectedness with our Canadian partners, and that’s not going to change,” Alaimo said. “We have a lot of members that do business with Canada and want to continue doing business with Canada.”

Canada remained Michigan’s biggest trading partner in 2025, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration, accounting for nearly $28 billion or 43% of all foreign exports.

Despite the fraying relationship between U.S. and Canadian leaders, Alaimo said, “We certainly know that President Trump cares about our trade relationships with our global partners, and he wants those trade relationships to be strong and in the American interest.”

“At the same time, I don’t think the fundamentals change. Our relationships with our country partners globally matter, but particularly with our Canadian and Mexican partners,” he added.

Alaimo said many chamber members “want to see more American options in their suppliers and in their supply chains,” but still want to do business with Canadian firms.