Stopping short of calling for a full boycott, Ward 7 Windsor City Councillor Angelo Marignani is encouraging residents to use the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel over the Ambassador Bridge when travelling to the U.S.
Marignani took to social media with the message following U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threat to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
According to a New York Times report, Matthew Moroun, whose family has operated the Ambassador Bridge for decades, met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just hours before Trump's threat.
The city owns the Windsor Detroit Tunnel Corporation (WDTC) and Marignani said outbound toll revenue stays in the city.
"I think residents should now make that choice. The ability to chose between the Ambassador Bridge or the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, choose the tunnel. Support Windsor, support local," he said.
The Moroun family has made numerous efforts to stop the construction of another bridge between Windsor and Detroit.
Marignani said the revelation of the reported Maroun-Lutnick meeting led him to speak out.
"If you're going to be doing that to our city, well we're going to be informing our residents and our job is to have that information available to our residents so that they can make the choice on supporting either the City of Windsor, or the Maroun family with the Ambassador Bridge," Marignani said.
Marignani said dividends from the tunnel helped the city achieve a zero per cent tax increase for 2026.
"You're either going to be contributing to a person who wants to challenge the City of Windsor, who has been continuously challenging the City of Windsor, or you can make the choice to actually help the City of Windsor," he said.
"So I'm kind of encouraging residents to make the second choice to help our city."
Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this week that Trump has asked U.S. Ambassador to Canada, former Michigan Rep. Pete Hoekstra, to play a role in smoothing discussions around the Gordie Howe Bridge.