As Windsor, Ont.’s American cousin, and at one end of the busiest border crossing between the Canada and the US, Detroit is familiar to many Canadians. From Ford to Motown; Alice Cooper to Madonna and Eminem; long-standing sporting rivalries between the Leafs and Red Wings, and Jays and Tigers; and Little Caesar’s, of course, Detroit is an indelible part of the cultural consciousness of many Ontarians.
Yet, there is much more beyond cars, music, and pizza waiting to be discovered in the Motor City.
To that end, Visit Detroit has appointed a public relations firm to represent it in the Canadian market – Toronto-based Moreno + Company – engaged to serve as the conduit to share compelling stories (sometimes under-the-radar ones) from the Michigan city to an expanding Canadian audience.
Who knew, for example, that Detroit is a UNESCO-recognized City of Design?
Time magazine did, naming the Michigan city one of the “50 greatest places” in 2022.
It’s that essence that Jennifer Ollinger, Manager of Domestic and International Tourism at Visit Detroit, is eager to share, stating, “It’s time we rolled out the red carpet for our Canadian friends as we invite them to discover The Motor City as they’ve never known it before.”
Indeed, Detroit is a historic metropolitan hub where rich musical, artistic, and industrial legacies mingle with a modern, adventurous spirit and local culture. With renewed investment and one of America’s most diverse demographics, Detroit is an energetic destination that both honours the past and embraces the future.
The destination’s thriving culinary scene, for example, is evident through recently opened and soon-to-open restaurants in metro Detroit, including Basan, Bar Pigalle, Bohemia, Detroit Seafood Spot, Beppe, Ima, and Bonchon. A $33-million redevelopment project will see The Mosaic, a 97,50-sq.-ft. food hall with an accompanying rooftop bar open just north of Eastern Market.
Meanwhile a tried-and-true favourite is Greektown.
Hundreds of new hotel rooms have also come on stream in the past few years.
Once settled in visitors, won’t want to miss the recently renovated Motown Museum, which includes a new outdoor plaza and performance space.
Another highlight is The Henry Ford is a collection of three museum experiences: Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, and the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, collectively offering hundreds of hands-on ways to discover America’s “can-do” spirit of culture and inventions.
Meanwhile downtown Detroit experiences range from multiple museums to extensive street, and even a day at the beach.
“Detroit has an uncanny knack for reinvention: from fur trading post to harbour of the Great Migration to icon of art deco and beaux art architecture, the city continues to evolve…” says Catalina Gordon, VP, Travel Trade Division of Moreno + Company.
And it’s a city, observes Moyer, that “has been America’s best-kept secret for too long!”