Saginaw, Michigan, has an unusual relationship with Canada, deeper than that of most communities its size. Saginaw’s proximity to three Canadian border crossings has fostered deep ties with its Canadian neighbor to the north, most notably through its local junior ice hockey team, the Saginaw Spirit. The players on the club are exclusively Canadians in the age range of 16-20 years old. For their playing season from September to April, they stay with local families. This disposition makes for a close connection and family dynamic between the Saginaw hosts and their players.
In 2023, the region exported $1.7 billion in goods, with more than half the $1.8 billion region’s exports going to Canada. Canadian corporations now own close to 4,000 acres of farmland in Saginaw County! This cross-ownership underscores the deep economic ties that bind the two regions. A wave of recent political changes have struck fear in the heart of Saginaw’s economic revival. Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods, for example, have caused alarm over the consequences.
The Saginaw Spirit their first Memorial Cup victory in Ontario Hockey League history last season. The Canadian fans turned out in droves for this milestone, with some fans traveling from as far as Saskatchewan to be there for the moment. One diehard Canadian fan drove 11 hours from Quebec to catch the tournament. He lauded the warmth of the people of Saginaw describing it as “Everybody’s been super friendly. You guys have been absolutely amazing hosts.”
Jimmy Greene, vice-president of marketing and community relations for the Saginaw Spirit, emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive environment for the players amid current political tensions.
“We’ve had this relationship for decades and all of a sudden, in the last couple of months, it’s been uprooted.” – Jimmy Greene
Greene further praised the team’s ability to protect players from political pressures but still support their growth and advancement in the game.
“I think we all made a concerted effort, while not to keep [the players] dumb and naive, we did enough to make them feel comfortable in our environment and away from the political stuff. We kept them in a mindset of sport.” – Jimmy Greene
In spite of these efforts, worries still remain over the damage the tariffs are doing to perceptions on both sides of the border. In a blog post, Greene expressed his concern with the impression Canadian players and fans would get of their downtrodden American cousins.
“Because we play in Canada, and [because of] the tariffs. I’m more concerned about how they feel about us. Our feelings towards Canada have been and always will be favorable and friendly. I’m concerned not just because of the economic tariffs, but because of the emotions that come from that. I’d be foolish to pretend otherwise.” – Jimmy Greene
Political tensions have affected local businesses. Almost 40% of all the goods Michigan exports do so to Canada, forming a labyrinth of intergovernmental interdependence. Recent threats with the use of border-crossing technologies have sounded alarms. Photo by iStockphoto/cameronrsy Last month, authorities seized an incredible $11 million in cocaine at the Port Huron border crossing. This place is located only 80 miles east of Saginaw. Her shooting was one in a string of similar incidents at the time. Last December, Canadian authorities intercepted almost 1,000 pounds of cocaine in a semi-truck attempting to cross into Ontario.
Local businessman Pyscher told us about his worries over the uncertainty created by tariffs and a change in political language.
“Of course, you’re going to be concerned because you just don’t know [what will happen next]. At some point, it’s going to end up costing us. I just don’t know what extent and by how much.” – Pyscher
He strongly criticized the way trade negotiations with Canada have been handled, arguing that they should have been pursued differently and arguably better.
“With Canada, it should have been negotiated a bit better, a lot better. I’m expecting the deals with Canada to come soon, and we can all put this behind us.” – Pyscher
As Saginaw continues to figure out its way through these challenges, the community is optimistic that decades of collaboration will survive this current political storm. Greene seems to think that sports should rise above the political fray and unite us all.
“I’m not immune to the idea that at some point Canada had some hostile feelings towards us, but people have, until this point, been able to park the politics away from sport. I think sport right now triumphs over politics.” – Jimmy Greene
The Saginaw Spirit are deep into their active season, having already played 28 games up north in Canada. They really do capture the vibrant partnership between these two states. What happens next is still anyone’s guess as the two communities continue to adjust to changing realities and work to preserve their recreational connections.