July 1 is Canada Day, and across the river in Windsor, and all across the country, Canadians are celebrating it under the strangest cloud in years. Their closest ally and biggest trading partner has spent the past year hitting them with tariffs. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has floated the idea of making Canada the 51st state more than once.

The friction is intensifying in Detroit. A new bridge to Windsor, the Gordie Howe, is finished and ready — but it is sitting empty, reportedly blocked by the Trump administration.

Here’s what makes today remarkable. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico share a big free-trade deal — it’s what lets cars, food, and almost everything else move across their borders cheaply. When they signed it six years ago, they set a date to revisit it and decide whether to keep it. That date is today — July 1, 2026. So this Canada Day lands on the exact day that the deal comes up for review.

Craig Baird, host of the podcast and radio show Canadian History Ehx, says we have actually been here before. He told host Robyn Vincent that tariffs have historically made Canada stronger.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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Canadians don’t feel so hot toward the U.S. right now. Thirty-seven percent view the country favorably, and most think even less of President Donald Trump. 

That’s in part because of a 25 % tax the president issued on steel and aluminum, which has cost thousands of jobs for people in Windsor alone. Most of those folks work for auto suppliers. 

Today is not only Canada Day, it’s also the day that talks are set to begin to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada-Agreement. And so, The Metro wanted to learn about what sentiments are like across the Detroit River. 

How are workers in the “steel belt” of Ontario and Quebec reacting to changes? And, how is it shifting their orientation towards America and altering how they see themselves?

Flavio Volpe is the president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, which is located in Toronto. He says American tariffs on Canada have made many Canadians skeptical of America.

“We may never trust them the same,” says Volpe.

The Metro’s Sam Corey spoke with the auto manufacturer president about why America’s aggressions toward Canada have led to losses for everyone.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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If it feels like everyone you know is stressed about money right now, the numbers back you up. This spring, U.S. consumer confidence fell to its lowest level ever, dragged down by gas prices and tariffs. Here in metro Detroit, unemployment is running nearly a point above the national rate, and small business owners are gloomy — just 28% think the economy is in good health.

So here’s the puzzle: At the same time, Michiganders are starting businesses at a furious pace — more than 40,000 new business applications in the first three months of this year, up 25% from a year ago. People say the economy scares them, yet they are betting on themselves anyway.

Mark Lee has spent his career advising small businesses across southeast Michigan, and he started his own company in January 2008, right as the last recession hit. He joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro to discuss if these new business owners are jumping or being pushed.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

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A month ago, gas in Michigan was just under $4 a gallon, and small business owners were already making changes to brace for what was coming.

In the month since, the average price has climbed to nearly five dollars, with some Michigan stations already past it. The squeeze that was just beginning a month ago has settled in. The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran is in its third month, the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and Midwest refineries are down.

For the small businesses that anchor metro Detroit, this is one more strain on top of an already heavy stack. Corner stores and landscapers are absorbing higher fuel costs to stay competitive. Restaurants are closing, and analysts say rising gas prices and declining consumer confidence are likely to accelerate the trend.

All of this comes after months of tariffs, rising healthcare premiums, and an unsettled workforce.

Mark Lee runs The Lee Group, where he consults with small businesses across Southeast Michigan. He spoke with Robyn Vincent on The Metro about what another month of pain at the pump is doing to the businesses he advises. Lee is also hosting his 12th annual Small Business Workshop on May 13 at the Corner Ballpark in Detroit — a free, half-day event for local entrepreneurs and business owners navigating exactly this kind of pressure.

Hear the full conversation using the media player above.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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