>is from Lasalle, ON which is a suburb of Windsor (or suburb of >Detroit more probably)
>Please explain.
Lasalle, ON is on the opposite side of the Detroit River from Detroit, MI. It is next to Windsor, ON. Without Detroit investment (auto industry and ancillary industries) Windsor would be a nothing ghost town. Large Canadian companies refuse to invest so far away from their beloved GTA.
The US/Canada crossing of Windsor-Detroit is a natural due to it's location.
Windsor is a 'gateway' city, just as much as Detroit.