There will be a demonstration at 1pm on Monday February 18. The plan is to meet at Wyandotte and Huron Church in front of the graveyard and then at 1:15PM to walk to the street where the trucks come off with signs demonstrating the fact that the public should have access to and control of such an important artery for traffic.
Below is a link to information regarding legislation:
Bill C-3: International Bridges and Tunnels Act (LS-524E)
Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, introduced Bill C-3, An Act respecting international bridges and tunnels and making ...
www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills_ls.asp?lang=E&ls=c3&source=library_prb&Parl=39&Ses=1 -
If you're available it would be great if you could make it out.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Drivers morouned
Gord Henderson, Windsor Star
Published: Saturday, February 16, 2008
You have to hand it to the folks from the independent Republic of Moroun who run that perpetual money machine called Ambassador Bridge. They've just underlined, as no one else could, the urgent need for a new downriver bridge owned and controlled by the governments of Canada and the U.S.
In erecting barriers blocking the main access route to downtown Windsor for motorists entering Canada, the company might have scored points in its running feud with the city, but its move calls into question something far bigger, this country's sovereignty.
How can Canada call itself an independent, self-respecting nation when it allows a privately owned firm, headquartered in another country, to arbitrarily determine how and where visitors get to enter this country from the U.S.? Where is our legitimacy as a country when one billionaire, 80-year-old American transportation tycoon Matty Moroun, and his supporting cast, can call the shots in determining whether motorists arriving in Canada are allowed to use a key artery, northbound Huron Church Road, to reach city destinations.
The Stephen Harper government has made highly popular noises about defending Canadian sovereignty in the remote high Arctic, even if it means conducting costly show-the-flag exercises, constructing a naval harbour and building expensive ships to patrol the Northwest Passage, and yet here, right on Canada's front doorstep, at the busiest and most valuable trade crossing in North America, it has to live with choices made by a U.S. businessman, regardless of their impact on visitors or returning Canadians.
One has to wonder. Where could this end? If the bridge company were to up the ante and shut down the bridge for a week, in order to undertake "necessary" repairs, would the governments of Canada and the U.S. respond? Or would they wring their hands in impotent indignation while cross-border trade is tied up in knots?
EARLIER BATTLE LOST
We didn't make much of it at the time. But we surely understand now why Herb Gray moved heaven and earth, as Liberal minister responsible for FIRA (Foreign Investment Review Agency) in the early 1980s, in a failed effort to prevent Moroun's trucking empire from acquiring the Canadian half of the bridge. That battle was lost in the federal courts and ended with an out-of-court settlement following a marathon legal struggle.
Gray understood what was at stake. An economic nationalist, he recognized that having the nation's most critical border crossing owned and operated by a private company, a foreign controlled one at that, would not be in Canada's best interests. He knew that real countries, serious countries, don't let private companies run their borders.
But don't blame Moroun for being pugnacious in defence of his licence to print money. If you purchased an item for a reputed $29 million, and it returns at least twice that amount annually (which makes the bridge purchase the best deal since the Dutch acquired Manhattan), you too would fight like a cornered mongoose against anything that might affect the value of that asset.
Published: Saturday, February 16, 2008
You have to hand it to the folks from the independent Republic of Moroun who run that perpetual money machine called Ambassador Bridge. They've just underlined, as no one else could, the urgent need for a new downriver bridge owned and controlled by the governments of Canada and the U.S.
In erecting barriers blocking the main access route to downtown Windsor for motorists entering Canada, the company might have scored points in its running feud with the city, but its move calls into question something far bigger, this country's sovereignty.
How can Canada call itself an independent, self-respecting nation when it allows a privately owned firm, headquartered in another country, to arbitrarily determine how and where visitors get to enter this country from the U.S.? Where is our legitimacy as a country when one billionaire, 80-year-old American transportation tycoon Matty Moroun, and his supporting cast, can call the shots in determining whether motorists arriving in Canada are allowed to use a key artery, northbound Huron Church Road, to reach city destinations.
The Stephen Harper government has made highly popular noises about defending Canadian sovereignty in the remote high Arctic, even if it means conducting costly show-the-flag exercises, constructing a naval harbour and building expensive ships to patrol the Northwest Passage, and yet here, right on Canada's front doorstep, at the busiest and most valuable trade crossing in North America, it has to live with choices made by a U.S. businessman, regardless of their impact on visitors or returning Canadians.
One has to wonder. Where could this end? If the bridge company were to up the ante and shut down the bridge for a week, in order to undertake "necessary" repairs, would the governments of Canada and the U.S. respond? Or would they wring their hands in impotent indignation while cross-border trade is tied up in knots?
EARLIER BATTLE LOST
We didn't make much of it at the time. But we surely understand now why Herb Gray moved heaven and earth, as Liberal minister responsible for FIRA (Foreign Investment Review Agency) in the early 1980s, in a failed effort to prevent Moroun's trucking empire from acquiring the Canadian half of the bridge. That battle was lost in the federal courts and ended with an out-of-court settlement following a marathon legal struggle.
Gray understood what was at stake. An economic nationalist, he recognized that having the nation's most critical border crossing owned and operated by a private company, a foreign controlled one at that, would not be in Canada's best interests. He knew that real countries, serious countries, don't let private companies run their borders.
But don't blame Moroun for being pugnacious in defence of his licence to print money. If you purchased an item for a reputed $29 million, and it returns at least twice that amount annually (which makes the bridge purchase the best deal since the Dutch acquired Manhattan), you too would fight like a cornered mongoose against anything that might affect the value of that asset.
Bridge barrier annoys mayor
Move forces travellers entering city to go out of their way to access core
Dave Battagello, Windsor Star
Published: Friday, February 15, 2008
The Ambassador Bridge has taken an unexpected step in its fight with the city of cutting off the main access route to Windsor's downtown.
The company has put up barriers blocking access to northbound Huron Church Road as drivers exit the bridge.
Every vehicle coming off the bridge must now head south on Huron Church, forcing many Windsorites to travel out of their way, while also setting up the potential for U.S. travellers to get lost trying to find the downtown.
Since the barriers are erected on private bridge company property, there appears to be little the city can do about the move.
"Once again, they are doing this the Ambassador Bridge way," said an exasperated Mayor Eddie Francis.
"They have been aggressively seeking permanent closure of that stretch of Huron Church. They know I have expressed (that) any closure of the road will hurt downtown.
"We need that exit to secure access to the casino, to downtown businesses and restaurants. This clearly eliminates that."
The issue was already scheduled to be debated at Tuesday's city council meeting to deal with a bridge request to temporarily shut down the stretch of Huron Church between the bridge exit and Wyandotte Street West.
The bridge wants it closed so it can complete maintenance work.
City administration has recommended council deny the request until the bridge company provides more information about the exact nature of the construction work.
Francis and council also have fears the bridge company is vying for permanent closure of the local road so that it can successfully expand the footprint of its customs plaza operations over to the west side of Huron Church Road -- a key requirement demanded for federal approvals of its twin span proposal.
A race to build the next Windsor-Detroit border crossing has entered its final stages, with a government-backed downriver bridge proposal expected to be unveiled in late March or early April.
Council supports the government process and is fighting against the Ambassador Bridge's twin-span proposal.
Blocking the northbound Huron Church exit with barricades should not be looked upon as a big deal, said Dan Stamper, president of the bridge company.
"We're doing some work on the bridge and to make that safer we need to close that part of Huron Church. People make more out of what we do than reality.
"We are try to maintain (border) traffic and do whatever maintenance is needed. We will open it back up as soon as we can."
He guessed the bridge maintenance work would take about three months to complete and offered that the bridge may open access to the local road occasionally during construction.
He said the road needed to be closed this week because the company is "doing inspection on work that's going to be done."
Stamper then took aim at the city for remaining unco-operative.
"The City of Windsor is not willing to do anything to be helpful for us," he said.
"We are doing what we need to do to make sure the bridge is secure and safe. We hope some day the city will see it's in their interest for the bridge to be efficient. Until that happens we are just plodding along with things we have to do."
Dave Battagello, Windsor Star
Published: Friday, February 15, 2008
The Ambassador Bridge has taken an unexpected step in its fight with the city of cutting off the main access route to Windsor's downtown.
The company has put up barriers blocking access to northbound Huron Church Road as drivers exit the bridge.
Every vehicle coming off the bridge must now head south on Huron Church, forcing many Windsorites to travel out of their way, while also setting up the potential for U.S. travellers to get lost trying to find the downtown.
Since the barriers are erected on private bridge company property, there appears to be little the city can do about the move.
"Once again, they are doing this the Ambassador Bridge way," said an exasperated Mayor Eddie Francis.
"They have been aggressively seeking permanent closure of that stretch of Huron Church. They know I have expressed (that) any closure of the road will hurt downtown.
"We need that exit to secure access to the casino, to downtown businesses and restaurants. This clearly eliminates that."
The issue was already scheduled to be debated at Tuesday's city council meeting to deal with a bridge request to temporarily shut down the stretch of Huron Church between the bridge exit and Wyandotte Street West.
The bridge wants it closed so it can complete maintenance work.
City administration has recommended council deny the request until the bridge company provides more information about the exact nature of the construction work.
Francis and council also have fears the bridge company is vying for permanent closure of the local road so that it can successfully expand the footprint of its customs plaza operations over to the west side of Huron Church Road -- a key requirement demanded for federal approvals of its twin span proposal.
A race to build the next Windsor-Detroit border crossing has entered its final stages, with a government-backed downriver bridge proposal expected to be unveiled in late March or early April.
Council supports the government process and is fighting against the Ambassador Bridge's twin-span proposal.
Blocking the northbound Huron Church exit with barricades should not be looked upon as a big deal, said Dan Stamper, president of the bridge company.
"We're doing some work on the bridge and to make that safer we need to close that part of Huron Church. People make more out of what we do than reality.
"We are try to maintain (border) traffic and do whatever maintenance is needed. We will open it back up as soon as we can."
He guessed the bridge maintenance work would take about three months to complete and offered that the bridge may open access to the local road occasionally during construction.
He said the road needed to be closed this week because the company is "doing inspection on work that's going to be done."
Stamper then took aim at the city for remaining unco-operative.
"The City of Windsor is not willing to do anything to be helpful for us," he said.
"We are doing what we need to do to make sure the bridge is secure and safe. We hope some day the city will see it's in their interest for the bridge to be efficient. Until that happens we are just plodding along with things we have to do."
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