Talking Michigan Transportation

The people behind a most iconic international handshake

• Michigan Department of Transportation • Season 6 • Episode 187

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By now, you may have seen a photo taken high above the Detroit River of two iron workers, one from Canada and one from the United States, shaking hands to mark the completion of the deck on the Gordie Howe International Bridge. 

On this week’s edition of the Talking Michigan Transportation podcast, a conversation with those iron workers, Jason Huggett of Canada and Casey Whitson of Michigan.

Both are second-generation iron workers. Jason’s father helped build the twin span of the Blue Water Bridge linking Port Huron, Michigan, with Sarnia, Ontario. Casey’s father worked on the Renaissance Center in Detroit as well as Joe Louis Arena.

They talk about what working on this once-in-a-lifetime project means to both of them and how honored each of them was to participate in the handshake.

They each spoke about it to the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority after the handshake:

Said Huggett: “I said it was about time we got to shake hands after seeing each     other from a distance for almost two years, it was really something special. That handshake means a lot to my family, my two sons and my father, who helped build the twin span for the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia.”  

And Whitson: “We would see each other, but we were far, across the river, apart for all these months working. To actually get to be able to meet each other and shake hands and say hello is really cool. It’s the biggest moment in my career and I now share something with my father, who helped build the Renaissance Center in Detroit.”  

Jeff Cranson:

Hello, welcome to the Talking Michigan Transportation Podcast. I'm Jeff Cranson. I'm particularly excited about this week's edition and the conversation that I was fortunate to have and the conversation that I was fortunate to have with two iron workers, one from Michigan and one from Canada. By now you might have seen what quickly became an iconic photo of the two of them shaking hands where the Gordie Howe International Bridge Deck comes together. It was a great moment about a month ago and I was eager to hear from both of them about what that meant to them, what being ironworkers means to them, and I think you'll enjoy the conversation. Both of them are second-generation ironworkers and they talked about their fathers and what it meant to their fathers to be involved in this, and I want to apologize up front for some of the audio. They're both in the field still working on the bridge, so the connection was a little faulty sometimes, but hopefully you'll be able to hear it clearly enough and I really just hope you enjoy the conversation.

Jeff Cranson:

Again, as I mentioned in my introduction, I have the privilege of talking to two ironworkers today who have had the distinct honor of playing an important role in building the Gordie Howe International Bridge and they've been somewhat made into celebrities because of an iconic photo of each of them shaking hands. Casey Whitson, who is a Michigan iron worker, was representing the US in that handshake, and Jason Huggett, who is an iron worker from Canada, and what's really interesting about this is they're both second-generation iron workers and both of their fathers worked on similarly iconic structures. In Casey's case, his father worked on the Renaissance Center in Detroit, and also Joe Louis Arena, and Jason's father worked on the second span of the Blue Water Bridge, which connects Canada and US, at Port Huron and Sarnia. Thank you both for being here. Let me start with you, Jason, and hopefully the audience will be able to distinguish your voices. I think I can tell the difference, but you know what does it mean to you to be able to work on something this high profile?

Jason Hugget:

It truly is amazing, Jeff. I've worked a lot of big jobs, but nothing as big as this, connecting two countries together. The views the views on this job have been better than almost any other job I've been on it's amazing accomplishment do you imagine in your lifetime you'll ever work on anything as significant as this again? Uh, probably not as significant. No, I was thinking about going up to bc. That bridge is going up there, so and it's actually similar to this one, just a lot smaller scale talk a little bit about your background.

Jeff Cranson:

You're based on your phone number.

Jason Hugget:

I get the feeling you're originally from Regina no, I just spent 10 years there and, to be honest, it's the phone's a lot cheaper going with Saskatchewan Ontario interesting yeah, about that yeah, so I've uh, I've been in the ironworkers for 20 years now. I've worked all across Canada, met all kinds of people, lots of good memories, lots of big jobs. It's hard to ever go home sometimes, but you always got to make a name for yourself in this trade. As Casey knows, the only thing you got is your name in this trade.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah, so, Casey, same for you, I guess. Talk a little bit about your background. Again, you're second generation and it seems like you see that a lot with ironworkers actually, that there's a generational tie there. Can you talk about that?

Casey Whitson:

A lot with ironworkers actually, that there's a generational tie there. Can you talk about that? Yeah, typically back in the day, pretty much you were either family or you knew somebody that was in the trade. So I wasn't much of a college student, so I just followed in my dad's footsteps and just started becoming just became an ironworker.

Jeff Cranson:

And tell me when this first got on your radar. I mean, it was 20 years in the making planning politics, which still play a factor in this. It's gone by three different names. It was the New International Trade Crossing, it was the Detroit River International Crossing and finally settled on the Gordie Howe International Bridge. When did you first come aware of the project?

Casey Whitson:

Probably about four years ago when they first started breaking ground, I heard about it. I was actually going to stay away from the job because I work a lot in the steel mills and the power plants and the car plants, maintaining all that and haven't done a lot of big structural jobs. And my BA just called me about two years ago now actually to the month I was like, hey, I'd like for you to come out and work on that bridge and so I said, all right, I'll come out here. And it's been quite. It's been quite a couple of years now quite.

Jeff Cranson:

It's been a quite a couple of years now. So talk a little bit first, Jason, about exactly what your day holds for the most part and and what your work has been and is, and then, uh, same for you, Casey well, a typical day.

Jason Hugget:

We start 6 am. You know, you go through protocols, safety meetings, toolbox talks, all your harness inspections, and then you get up there and you just get to work. So the last few days we've been taking out the struts between the towers, as Casey and the guys took theirs out a while ago now. So by 7 o'clock you're up in the air, cranes hooked on and you're starting a demo, really got torches going up there, and then you'll be up there for could be all day. Right, we have two breaks, but if you're stuck in the middle of the lift then you can't go nowhere until that piece is on the ground. So usually we're done at 4 o'clock, but there is lots of overtime on this job, so there's always something going on, never ending so Casey, same to you, I guess.

Jeff Cranson:

Uh, when you get home and I don't know if you have kids or you know your spouse or your friends and ask you hey, what'd you do today? How do you, how do you describe it?

Casey Whitson:

I always tell them I'm building a bridge. No, it all depends on what aspect that we're doing. Like right now, I'm working on the side of the bridge, which is called the cladding, and we're putting on the steel that goes on the side to kind of close the structure up a little bit. So that's what my days consist of right now, like in the beginning of the project. I was part of the connecting crew and then the bolt-up crew too, so I put the iron up, then fall back and start bolting it up, tightening it all up and getting it all lined up right.

Jeff Cranson:

So how has it been for you guys to bridge the gap, so to speak, between the international barriers, between the international barriers? I mean, I often have joked with my Canadian counterparts as we've talked about this project and been on meetings for years now that we speak the same language but we don't. So one of you guys thinks in feet and one of you guys thinks in meters. How do you get through that?

Casey Whitson:

Well, I know metric from doing install at the car plants and stuff, but I mean, I hear Jason talking about feet and inches just as much as I do, so I'm not sure on exactly if they how much metric they use over there on this particular project, but yeah, interesting.

Jeff Cranson:

What were you gonna say, Jason?

Jason Hugget:

Yeah, it's pretty, pretty well the same, like I'm 40, so I got a little bit of age on case I can, I can do both, just like him. So it's it really comes down to the engineering and the bridge, like the standard that we're going to use, right metric yeah now, that makes sense all the present what the print says.

Jeff Cranson:

You know how the print's written out oh sure, yeah, and sometimes you have to interpret and sometimes you don't, I suppose yeah so yeah, it always changes too. I'm sorry. How did each of you get chosen for this incredible photograph?

Casey Whitson:

I just luck of the draw for me. I mean, I was just, we were just making that last connection. I just asked the guys hey, you guys don't mind if I go out in there and, you know, cut that loose. And they were like, nah, go ahead. I mean it was, you know, it was no big deal at the time, but now it kind of is a big deal that's a huge deal.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah, how about you, Jason?

Jason Hugget:

Yeah, it's been talked about on our side for since we started. Really, it came down to me and my partner in the beginning, but my partner moved up to foreman as we needed another foreman, so I was next in line and there was called every piece in. So you pretty well get that owner and, uh, to be honest, like on our side, we only had two journeymen to six apprentices, so it was tough some days.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah well, I mean, you've shared it, I'm sure, probably on social media and with friends and family. What's the reaction you each get from people when they see the photo?

Jason Hugget:

My dad actually teared up when he seen the picture. I'll bet so it it actually meant something.

Jeff Cranson:

It's really special yeah, that's very cool. What about you, Casey?

Casey Whitson:

As pretty much the same thing, my, my old man he was, he called me, he called me up and I could hear how proud he was, stuff you know and know and stuff like that. And I got him a copy of that picture that was in the, that was in the newspaper and I gave that to him for Father's Day. Gave one to Jason too.

Jeff Cranson:

Oh, very nice, very nice. We'll be right back. Stay tuned. If you need to get out and stretch your legs, don't forget about the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk. Make your plans to attend the walk on Labor Day and take in some of the best views in the state of Michigan on the Mighty Mac. For more information, go to mackinacbridge. org/ walk. So we're still on track for opening, hopefully about a year from now, probably September of 2025. Um, you guys feel good about hitting that target pretty sure we'll be done.

Casey Whitson:

It's going to be all the other trades. You know, getting all the electricians and the plumbing and all them guys getting all their stuff buttoned up because you know the iron workers will be close will probably be one of the first trades done, considering you know we got to put the structure up before everybody else has a job. That's a good point.

Jason Hugget:

Pretty well the same as our side. They'll be playing with those cables and tensioning them and stressing them for a while. But until the other trades get in there, there's a lot of work the electricians and the steam fritters got to do or sprinkler fitters sorry, but the on-workers will definitely be done.

Jeff Cranson:

So do you have any idea at this point I'll start with you, Casey like what you'd be moving on to next. Do you think you'd be going back to doing work at the plants, or do you see yourself working on another bridge or piece of transportation infrastructure?

Casey Whitson:

I'll probably stay local. I'll probably head over the Cleveland Cliffs and go back to maintaining that place, you know, with whatever company feels like hiring me, or you know, wherever there's a, wherever there's good work you know, at the car plants or whatever that's. That's my plan, at least for now.

Jeff Cranson:

This is probably a very good time to have your skills. You're probably eminently employable. I'll bet.

Casey Whitson:

Well, I got quite a few years in the trade. So there's that too.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah, yeah, Jason. What about you?

Jason Hugget:

Yeah, the same. There's that BC bridge job which I've been thinking about, and there's a job 30 minutes from my house, a battery plant. I haven't been home in six years, so I'd like to be home, but you never know with this job where you're going to end up.

Jeff Cranson:

Where is home again?

Jason Hugget:

Home is Bright Strove, Ontario, okay, south side of Sarnia.

Jeff Cranson:

So when you talk about, are you saying a BC project, you're talking about a British Columbia bridge, yeah, yes, British Columbia.

Jason Hugget:

In Victoria they're doing another cable stay bridge.

Jeff Cranson:

That is state-of-the-art now, I guess, isn't it.

Jason Hugget:

Yeah, they're, I don't know. In my eyes they look a lot better than the older, so a lot more work to it, but definitely looks better.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah, that's probably going to for people like Casey and me Michigan people. That's probably going to land with a bit of a harsh thud for a lot of people because we've been so proud of the Mackinac Bridge for so long and we stamp it on our license plates. And a suspension bridge is certainly beautiful in its own way, but there is something about these cable state bridges especially at night when they're lit up, that really gets you, if you like bridges.

Jason Hugget:

Yeah, this bridge has lights all over it. I'm sure Casey's side they're putting all the lights on the cladding on the outside.

Casey Whitson:

This whole thing is going to be lit right up. Yeah, it's going to be cool.

Jeff Cranson:

I can't wait to see that. Yeah, so what do you think, Casey? What if you run into somebody that actually worked on the Mackinac Bridge and you tell them yours is cooler? What are you going to say?

Jeff Cranson:

I would never, unfortunately one of the last iron workers that did work on the Mackinac Bridge. He just died this year and but yeah, I don't think. I don't think he'd agree with me. I think he'd say his bridge was a little more beautiful in my previous life as a journalist. In 1997, we took an iron worker up to the Mackinac Bridge who had helped build it in 1957, and he was in his late 70s at the time and he had no problem going right up the elevator and walking out there on the platform and, you know, looking around at the straights. I mean you talk about a beautiful view. It's always amazed me that I guess if you're not born with any fear of heights, you never get any fear of heights, because that guy wasn't bothered a bit by that and you probably run into people who are oh yeah, you run into iron workers who are afraid of heights.

Casey Whitson:

Believe it or not, I mean it just happens. But you get over. You get over it, though you ain't got a choice. You either gotta make the money or you don't interesting.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah, what do you say, Jason?

Casey Whitson:

That's very true well, like I and like what I always tell people, I really don't look past my feet when I'm walking around up on the iron. You know what I mean. I'm not staring at the ground when I'm walking, so you kind of really don't pay attention how high you are unless you really look around.

Jeff Cranson:

So I guess, lastly, let's talk a little bit about what you'll take away from this. You're talking about this, you know, 20 years from now, let's start with you, Jason. What ?

Jason Hugget:

, Well definitely the handshake is probably the most iconic, but just the crew I had was a lot of work, everybody coming together to make it safe, done like it's. There's a lot going on this job big lifts, cranes everywhere, people everywhere. It's just amazing nobody was really hurt in the process of this job. So basically, besides the handshake, the crew I had. The views I had up there like Casey was saying that top of that tower is like 780 feet. You can see for miles. That's definitely something I'll take away from it.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah, that's something I talked to you a little bit about, Casey. Your dad helped build the Rensen, which for decades has been the tallest building in Detroit and tallest building in Michigan. Obviously and technically, the towers of the Gordie Howe will be higher right, so you got that to hold over him.

Casey Whitson:

Yeah, just a little bit higher by mere feet. But yeah, they're a little bit taller than a Renaissance Center. So it took me a long time to achieve that, but I finally did.

Jeff Cranson:

So talk a little bit about what your memory will be and what do you think you'll be talking about most, you know, decades to come.

Casey Whitson:

Oh yeah, it's like kind of like what Jason said, you know, getting that first handshake, and you know he's been sitting here watching these guys work across the river from from you for all this time and you know you think you're never going to get there. And then, like the last couple of sections that we ended up setting, it's like like all of a sudden we were in the middle. It was like, wow, that happened quick, when for all the tile, that all the build-up for so long, you know you're so far apart.

Jeff Cranson:

So that that sounds like just yeah, I was going to say it sounds like the calculations were all good too, because things lined up right from the start, right.

Casey Whitson:

Yeah yeah, Canada's side of the bridge they can move their bridge in and out. I know that sounds crazy, but they've got a hydraulic system that they could move the bridge in and out. So that kind of helped with getting it all lined up right with that final piece of iron.

Jeff Cranson:

That kind of helped with lining, getting it all lined up right, you know, with that final piece of iron. Yeah, well, I think that one of the reasons I'm so intrigued by that photo, not just because it's beautifully composed and everything about it is very cool, but it also because it signifies the peace between our countries. And you know, there's a monument at a community called Put-In-Bay, which is on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, not far from Toledo, where Commodore Perry fought the British, and they put up a monument. That's a peace monument between Canada and the US. But I think this bridge is going to serve as every bit the same symbol of peace, so I think you can both feel pretty good about that.

Casey Whitson:

To be part of this project is just unbelievable. I still can't believe. You know, working on this bridge and being a part of this project and everything that's happened, it's just been a really cool experience, man. I never, ever thought I'd ever do anything like this.

Jeff Cranson:

No, that's great thanks. Thanks a lot, Casey. Jason, anything you want to say to close?

Jason Hugget:

No, all good. Thank you very much for having me.

Jeff Cranson:

Yeah, thank you both. I'd like to thank you once more for tuning in to Talking Michigan Transportation. You can find show notes and more on Apple Podcasts or Buzzsprout. I also want to acknowledge the talented people who help make this a reality each week, starting with Randy Debler, who skillfully edits the audio, Jesse Ball, who proofs the content, Courtney Bates, who posts the podcast to various platforms, and Jacke Salinas, who transcribes the audio to make it accessible to all.