Feds disclose more details on Trump admin request to delay Gordie Howe bridge opening | CBC News

MP for area says Canadian authorities still withholding some key details

The Canadian government has disclosed a handful of fresh details around the delays in opening the Gordie Howe International Bridge, as well as some information related to the cost to build the sprawling span connecting Ontario and Michigan.

But the MP whose questions triggered the disclosure says he’s “not satisfied at all” with the responses, accusing Ottawa of still hiding key information about the $6.4-billion bridge that became mired in cross-border political controversy earlier this year. 

"The truth is going to come out eventually, and the more you beat around the bush, the more suspicious people get," says Harb Gill, the Conservative MP for Windsor West.

In particular, federal authorities declined to provide details about some of the extra costs to get the bridge open.

Still, some of the responses shed additional light on a major infrastructure project that was swept up in broader cross-border tensions when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block the bridge’s opening in February.

That threat followed intense lobbying and hefty donations to Republicans from the owners of the nearby Ambassador Bridge.

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In June, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the U.S. had requested to delay opening the new bridge, citing “technical aspects” that had been raised. He declined to explain those technical issues at the time, saying, “I don’t think it’s productive to work through those in public.”

Earlier this week, the federal government responded to Gill's questions from June, saying that the request from the U.S. came “on or about” June 10, and that those technical issues were “related to the governance and financial framework associated with the bridge."

That same day, top government officials and ministerial staff from the infrastructure department, Privy Council Office, Prime Minister’s Office, and Global Affairs Canada “were collectively briefed” on the U.S. request to push back the opening, per the response from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada.

The description of the issues appears to track with the provisions of the eventual deal between the two countries to open the bridge in late July. The agreement introduced a revenue-sharing arrangement with the U.S. and rules around toll rate changes, among other things.