Ambassador Bridge
Could this be real?
Could the Morouns actuallyy want to cooperate with Canada when it comes to the Detroit-Windsor bridge situation, or is this just another approach to achieve the same goal: To build a second bridge or stop Canada and the U.S. from building one?
Whatever the case, it's not exactly clear what the Mourons have in mind.
Nonetheless, a Toronoto Star headline says: "Olive branch could end Detroit-Windsor bridge wars." Linda Diebel writes:
American billionaire Manuel (Matty) Moroun — owner of the Ambassador Bridge and foe of Canada’s plan for a competing bridge over the Detroit River — wants to talk. The message is the Harper government got its numbers wrong but he likes the new guy in Ottawa.
“The Windsor-Detroit border can be a shining example of efficiency and co-operation,” said Moroun’s son, Matthew, in an email to the Star.
“I’m inspired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s desire to take a new look and a fresh approach to fix old problems. This situation is just such a problem. I’m ready to do the same.”
It’s a stunning statement after years of lobbying, litigation and threats to derail what is arguably Canada’s most important infrastructure project, seen as crucial to Canada’s trade and security. The project has been estimated to cost $4 billion or even $5 billion. Roughly one-quarter of the $760 billion in annual trade between the two countries crosses at the Windsor-Detroit border.
The younger Moroun, 44, is vice-chair of CenTra Inc., parent company of the Ambassador Bridge. While he shoulders much of the load in his 88-year-old father’s business empire, sources say big decisions aren’t made without approval from the “old man.”
Dwight Duncan, federally appointed interim chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, said he was “blown away” by the email.
He was surprised at both its content and friendly tone.
“It’s a significant development,” said the former Ontario finance minister, a Windsor native. “Clearly, it’s an issue for the political leadership of Prime Minister Trudeau and President (Barack) Obama.”
Later, the article goes on to say:
An alternative to Moroun’s bridge is so crucial that Canada is paying the entire bill for the bridge, a new customs house on American soil and more transportation infrastructure on the U.S. side. The Harper government said its projections show Canadian taxpayers will recoup the estimated $4 billion cost in tolls over 30 years.
Matthew Moroun, in his email, sees it differently.
“Our company and the Harper government spent the last decade fighting unproductively,” he wrote. “Our position was that the Ambassador could be the only bridge. The former government’s position was that their ‘bridge-to-be’ would be able to pay back the taxpayers for the billions of dollars to construct it — even if Canada paid for the U.S. portion.
“We were both wrong and unnecessarily strident.”
