By Grant Gauthier, Digital Marketing Specialist, WEtech Alliance
Back in 2019 when I was working on my Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Windsor, I walked onto the job site of what would become one of the most significant infrastructure projects in North American history.
I had recently been hired as the Marketing & Communications Co-op student with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, and this was my first corporate job. When I started, they were still preparing the land for construction, and the towers didn’t even exist.
In my first term, I was working on stakeholder communications and marketing materials, while also spending some time in the field – including visiting the job site, and creating content on Walpole Island about the Indigenous artwork that would be displayed as panels rising alongside the towers. I was also honoured to lead the creation of graphics and promotional materials for the Community Benefits Plan announcement event.
My second term was during COVID, so most of the work shifted to remote – but even though construction faced delays, it never stopped. By the end of that term, they were filling the base of the towers with concrete.
Working on a project of this significance so early in my career was a blessing. Being trusted with real responsibility as a student gave me confidence and set a standard for meaningful work that I’ve carried with me ever since. I was surrounded by people who genuinely invested in me, and I haven’t forgotten that. So to Mark, Tara, Manny, Kiefer, Heather, and everyone else I had the pleasure of working with at WDBA – thank you, and congratulations on the grand opening.
Source: Gordie Howe International Bridge
Crossing Paths Again
One of the most rewarding moments since then came just over a month ago, when I had the opportunity to incorporate the Gordie Howe International Bridge into WEtech Alliance’s Innovation District banners at the official unveiling of Downtown Windsor’s Innovation District. Seeing the bridge represented as one of the regional innovations felt incredibly meaningful, especially knowing I had witnessed its journey from a cleared construction site to a completed international landmark. It was a full-circle moment.
A Small Reminder of a Big Beginning
Fun fact – the hockey puck from the start of construction of the bridge still sits framed on a shelf in my home. To most people, it’s just a piece of memorabilia. To me, it’s a reminder of where it all began – not just for one of North America’s most significant infrastructure projects, but for my own professional journey. It represents the opportunity I was given as a student, the mentors who invested in me, and the experience that shaped the way I approach my work to this day.
Years later, the bridge I watched grow from the ground up now stands as an international landmark connecting two countries. Having the opportunity to tell its story once again through WEtech Alliance’s Innovation District banners was a full-circle moment I never could have imagined back in 2019. Every time I see that framed puck, I’m reminded that sometimes the projects we help build end up building us, too.
Grant Gauthier
Digital Marketing Specialist,
WEtech Alliance
