Here's a sneak peek of the art that will welcome visitors to Canada at the Gordie Howe International Bridge

The artist behind the new sculpture planned for the Canadian port of entry at the Gordie Howe International Bridge says it symbolizes hope and freedom, with nods to Windsor's Underground Railroad history. 

"It asks the viewer to look to the sky and look to the heavens in many senses and put them in the place of what an enslaved person might have been doing in that time," said Toronto-based artist Jordan Sook.

The sculpture, called Make Joyful Noise, is a circular metal structure made out of replica church pews, representing the role that churches played in offering safe travel along the Underground Railroad. 

"And the ring structure, it reinforces this idea of community, this sense of strength or circle is is never ending in that sense," Sook said. 

At night, the sculpture will illuminate, simulating the stars that helped guide freedom seekers. 

The piece will be located outside the Canadian port of entry's security perimeter, so will be accessible for the public to visit. It will also be visible to travellers both entering and exiting Canada, and installation of the work will coincide with the bridge's opening, currently slated for fall 2025. 

"What's really cool about this work is you're going to be able to see the bridge actually framed within the work. So when you look through it, it's almost like a portal where you're almost looking into the past, seeing the Detroit side standing on the Windsor side," he said.

"So it has a very unique sort of perspective for the viewer when they get a chance to interact with the work."

Concept art for the piece, as well as other original artwork by Sook, is currently on display at Art Windsor-Essex.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.