The City of Windsor is sending the federal government a copy of its 2023 year-end operating budget variance report showing a $900,000 shortfall due to the Freedom Convoy.
Council passed a motion Monday introduced by Ward 6 Councillor Jo-Anne Gignac, who wanted the report sent to the government to let them see how Windsor taxpayers are now responsible for the additional expense.
Gignac says they were told at the time of the blockade that the municipality would be fully compensated for any costs incurred in handling the situation.
"I think handling the situation very calmly and very effectively; in fact, we were commended through the hearings for how it was done. Today, sure enough, here we are telling the people in Windsor that they will have to foot the additional $900,000," she says.
The city ended the 2023 fiscal year with an overall operating deficit of $2,490,154, which includes the unrecovered convoy costs.
In February 2022, hundreds of people protesting against various rules and mandates related to the COVID-19 pandemic blockad a section of Huron Church Road leading to the Ambassador Bridge.
The city spent just under $7 million to address the situation, but the federal government has only committed to covering $6.1 million.
Gignac says we need that money.
"We need people in the area to lobby for us with the federal government; we need that money," she says. "Every cent that we have to spend on making this up is going to come out of work that we should be doing here in Windsor."
On Dec. 29, 2022, former Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino came to Windsor to announce that the federal government would provide up to $6.9 million to cover the City of Windsor's costs associated with managing and ending the blockade.
Since that time, the federal government has repeatedly stated it will not cover certain legal costs associated with the blockade.
Gignac says after this, perhaps we have to get louder when it comes to treating Windsor in a unique way because of our position at the border.
"In the federal scheme of things, I think when an issue like this happens, hopefully it never does again, but if it does happen, they should be wanting to make sure that we're going to take care of it in the same manner and that our costs are going to be covered," she says.
Gignac adds that she expects the report to be turned into a "paper airplane" once it makes its way to Parliament Hill.