Rising border crossings between Ontario and Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie spark mixed reactions

International bridge traffic between the Ontario and Michigan sides of Sault Ste. Marie jumped 9 per cent in June compared to last year, while it was up 3 per cent nationally.

Rising border crossings between Ontario and Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie spark mixed reactions Bridge traffic between the Twin Saults jumped 9 per cent in June compared to last year International bridge crossings between Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and Sault Ste.

Marie, Michigan, have risen substantially this summer. The International Bridge Administration recently reported that one-way crossings between the two border towns — known by locals as the “Twin Saults” — eclipsed 82,000 vehicles in June. That’s a 9 per cent increase from the same period last year, and one of the largest locally recorded hikes in cross-border travel since tensions over trade and politics boiled over nearly two years ago.

Nationally, the number of Canadians visiting the U.S. in June was up 3 per cent compared to June 2025. That’s good news according to Tara Kelgar, the owner of a boutique store on the Michigan side of Sault Ste. Marie.

She told CBC that profits at her business went up by roughly 30 per cent since the spring, for which she largely credits Canadian shoppers. “There’s a softening that's going on, and I think people are able to kind of now understand that it's political but it's not, because the small businesses aren't involved in any of that,” she said. Despite the numbers, some Saultites hesitant to cross On the Canadian side of the border, Amy Sullivan only crosses the international bridge into Michigan out of necessity and not for recreation.

“At this point, we use it for the highways to go to southern Ontario,” she said. “We’re not going over there to shop very often.” Sullivan said her son works for Algoma Steel and was not among the 1,000 workers who were laid off this year — a move that the mill said was sped up due to U.S. tariffs on steel.

In light of the trade tensions between the two countries, Sullivan said “it doesn’t feel right” to support her neighbour’s economy right now. “The U.S. and I are no longer friends,” she said. “I have no desire to support them in any way, shape or form.

The damage has been done.” But other locals like Cathy Hicks disagree. She’s been crossing the border ever since she was young as she’s enjoyed the shopping and dining experiences in her “sister city.”

Despite some of the political noise occurring on the broader stage, it hasn’t prevented Hicks from continuing her routine. “There’s stuff the U.S. has that we don’t, so it’s nice to be able to go across — and it doesn’t take that long,” she said. “The border has been really considerate and they’ve been kind, I haven’t had any problems.

We all have our opinions on the politics side, but I feel like the people in Michigan are still welcoming us as Canadians.” Americans expressing interest in crossing, says restaurant owner In Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Cathy Howell runs The Wicked Sister restaurant — a downtown pub that’s become much busier during the summer months.

She’s unsure whether the boost in diners has any correlation with the increase in bridge traffic. But one trend she’s noticed in recent weeks is the number of Americans asking about the Canadian side of the Sault Ste. Marie border — many of whom are inquiring about what they can do in northern Ontario for recreation.

“So many more people have been asking about this,” Howell said. “We had a couple here from Indiana who wanted to go into Canada.” “There are way more people who want to check it out because you’re so close to the border, so why not go over?

We’ve been recommending our favourite restaurants and spots over there.”