Weekend trips to Detroit are taking a hit as Canadians rethink crossing the border.
New numbers show a sharp drop in cross-border traffic through Windsor this year, part of a wider shift in travel habits fueled by political tension, border scrutiny, and a growing urge to spend money at home.
According to the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association (BTOA), from January through April there have been just over 1.7-million vehicles that crossed the Ambassador Bridge - 286,673 fewer than the same period in 2024.
Passenger cars alone were down by just over 55,000, and truck traffic dropped nearly 177,000.
At the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, the dip is more modest - a year-to-date decline of 19,068 vehicles, with 6,581 fewer passenger cars than in 2024.
Customs and Immigration Union President Mark Weber says Canadians are reluctant to cross the border now.
"Absolutely they are, they're worried about the scrutiny they're going to face specifically going into the U.S. obviously because of the tariffs we're seeing that reduction in traffic. And I think a lot of people just have no desire really to go to the U.S. anymore."
He says staffing-wise it has been a benefit at the ports.
"We've seen a little bit of an easing up on our overtime demands and such there. We also in Windsor currently have some extra staff on hand because we've hired for the Gordie Howe Bridge, the opening keeps getting delayed for that, so we do have some extra officers now working at our other port."
Weber says Canadians may have to pay more duties on their way back into the country.
"Yeah you could because of those tariffs, you could be paying more on what you bring back. All of that is available, I do urge people always to go look on our website first so they're not surprised when they come back. But there could be more than there was before."
At the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, weekday numbers are still strong thanks to commuters but leisure travel on the weekends have seen a decline.
A new Conference Board of Canada report finds fewer Canadians are making plans to travel into the U.S. at all.
Just 27.1 per cent say they're likely to visit the States in the next few years - down from 53.2 per cent last fall.
At the same time, American visitors to Canada are also declining, with a 10.7 per cent drop in land arrivals in April.
-with files from CTV Windsor's Travis Fortnum