Windsor residents reflect on Canadian identity in border city as Molson launches new campaign

Many residents say living in a border city creates a uniquely Canadian experience. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has details.

As Molson launches a new campaign inviting Canadians to help redefine what it means to be Canadian ahead of Canada Day, some Windsor residents say living beside the United States gives the city a unique perspective on national identity.

The brewery’s campaign encourages Canadians to capture moments that define their experience through disposable cameras hidden in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, with selected photos potentially featured nationwide this summer.

While Windsor was not among the cities selected for the promotion, the campaign still sparked conversation locally about how living across the river from Detroit shapes life in Canada’s southernmost city.

“Just myself growing up, I would cross over the border almost every weekend,” said Windsor resident Kosta Margaritis. “With my Greek culture, I would actually do Greek dancing. So I’d go and do Greek dancing over there every single weekend. A lot of friends over there, dinners, fun entertainment events. I feel like we’re almost honorary Detroiters just being here in Windsor.”

Margaritis said Windsor residents often experience Canadian identity differently because of the region’s close ties to the United States.

Others said recent political tensions south of the border have strengthened feelings of Canadian pride.

“I think with President Trump, we’ve become even more Canadian because we used to think this was our sister city, and now we’re kind of avoiding it until things change a little,” said Lakeshore resident Shelley MacEachern. “So that’s my take on things.”

At the same time, MacEachern said living in a border community does not change the pride many residents feel about being Canadian.

“I don’t think so,” she said when asked whether being in a border city changes the Canadian experience. “I think we’re still staunch Canadians. We’re very, very proud to be Canadian.”

Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island CEO Gordon Orr said Windsor’s geography has long positioned the community as a gateway into Canada.

“We’re the southernmost city in Canada,” Orr stated. “The other thing is, we’re a gateway to this great country of ours. And that includes both trade and visitation.”

Orr said more than 1.7 million American visitors — primarily from Michigan and Ohio — travel to Windsor-Essex annually, with hundreds of thousands staying overnight.

“We are the first impression that a lot of Americans receive as they cross that border,” Orr said. “We’re a welcoming city.”

Molson said the campaign is intended to move beyond older stereotypes associated with Canadian identity and allow Canadians themselves to define what the phrase “I Am Canadian” means today.

The company was unavailable for an interview Tuesday, but notes in a media release that any Canadian can sign up to win a camera at Molson.ca/MadeByCanadians.

Some Windsor residents said they believe the region is frequently overlooked in national campaigns despite its importance as a border community.

“You know, we’re always ignored,” Windsor resident Ralph Frak told CTV News. “But when you look at Molson as a beer, they’re very big up north in Canada compared to us, because here locally we have a lot of breweries, we’re so close to different beers.”

Others said Windsor’s long-standing relationship with Detroit is part of what makes the community uniquely Canadian.

“I think the flagpole at the waterfront in front of the Ren Centre,” said Windsor resident John Liedtke Sr., describing the image he would choose to represent the city. “The river is there, we’re a 300-year-old community and the relationship between us has moved back and forth over the centuries.”