Windsor publisher’s 7-year project ‘A River Runs Between Us’ explores deep Windsor-Detroit bond

A local publisher has released a book, outlining the bond between Windsor and Detroit.

Walkerville Publishing spent seven years working on ‘A River Runs Between Us’, a book about the bond with Detroit.

“We don’t deal in current. So, the book ends in ‘24,” publisher Chris Edwards said.

“The book came out and then all this chaos ensued.”

Edwards and his publishing partner Elaine Weeks said it’s “an accident” the project concluded before American President Donald Trump was inaugurated, before his 51st state comments and the ensuing strained relationship between Canada and the U.S.

“We didn’t plan it,” Edwards insisted.

“We’re allies. We’re friends,” Weeks added.

“There’s just too much that’s gone down the river, basically, that we don’t want to lose forever.”

Walkerville Publishing partnered with the Chimczuk Museum to create a special exhibit to go along with the book.

Artifacts – from Boblo Island Amusement Park, The Big 8, Million Dollar Salloon to Motown – are on display along with panels depicting the similarities between Windsor and Detroit.

The exhibit opens to the public on Nov. 15 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Weeks and Edwards will host book signing events on Nov. 23 at the Indigo in St. Clair Beach and Dec. 13 at Devonshire Mall.

The book features 1,200 pictures and illustrations across 400 pages, plus summaries and explanations for nearly every image.

Having spent seven years looking at, researching, and thinking about the “unique relationship” between Windsor and Detroit, Weeks and Edwards said they’re confident the current strain will be short-lived.

“Families often have problems with members of the family. And that’s kind of the metaphor I use. We are having problems with the family,” Edwards explained.

“But the family will still stay together because of our bonds no matter what. And that’s what these panels demonstrate in this exhibit.”