Windsor and Detroits' 4th border

The vast majority of Windsor and Detroit citizens know that the international border between Canada and USA runs down the middle of the Detroit River. Consequently, unless you owned a boat, the closest you would come to that imaginary line in the river would be when you crossed the Ambassador Bridge, drove through the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, or transversed the International Rail Tunnel. Yet, there are a few people on either side of the river that work within 50 feet of the border each and every day. The employees of the Canadian Salt Company and The Detroit Salt Company, work within 50 feet of the border on a regular basis.



A rather large salt deposit was formed in our region some 300 million years ago. The international border cuts through the salt deposit from Amherstburg, through Windsor and Sarnia, then on into Lake Huron. The border must be respected, and surveys are done inside both salt mines to assure that the international border is not breached.

The Canadian Salt Company mines salt for our dining room table, as well as for salting the icy roads of Ontario (and other parts of Canada/US) during the winter months.

Salt mining is carried out at a depth of 1,000 feet in an area 20 feet high. Widths of the salt tunnel are 40 feet and "pillar" type mining is used to keep the ceiling of the mine (and river bed) from collapsing.

The salt pillars can be as large as 25 feet in diameter and are spaced approximately 20 feet apart. Forty percent of the salt is left for "pillar" support.

So, when it comes to person made borders, the salt mines of Ojibway cannot be overlooked. In fact, this is one of two (the other is on the Czech / Poland border) operating salt mines in the world that cross an international border.