The company that owns the Ambassador Bridge is responding to the city’s plan to expropriate dozens of homes in Windsor’s west end.
The city announced Thursday it is beginning the process to expropriate 45 vacant and boarded homes, a number of them owned by companies associated with the owners of the Ambassador Bridge, which have been the focus of multiple legal battles with the city for several decades.
A release from the Canadian Transit Company (CTC) says it is prepared to immediately demolish all of its remaining vacant structures in Sandwich at its own cost and has been for years.
The statement says, “These expropriations will only result in unnecessary conflict, delay, and taxpayer expense. ” There is an easy solution where we demolish all of the structures-the city just has to permit this-and then transfer almost all of these properties to the city.”
The release ends with saying, “The CTC is ready, willing, and able to demolish any remaining vacant houses and complete the transaction with the city, saving everyone time and money and finally putting an end to the saga of the vacant houses in Sandwich.”
In exchange for taking the action, the CTC wants portions of roadways needed for its plaza expansion project at the foot of the bridge. The new commercial vehicle inspection plaza is allowed under a federal permit issued in 2017.
From 2017 to present, the city has been involved in a negotiation process over some of the properties, spending approximately $3 million in legal and professional fees in connection with negotiations.
The majority of homes are along Indian Road, Edison Street, Bloomfield Road, and Felix Avenue, but there are also homes on Rosedale Avenue, Elm Avenue, St. Antoine Street, and College Avenue.
Here’s the full statement, courtesy of the CTC:
West End residents should know that CTC is prepared to immediately demolish all of its remaining vacant structures in Sandwich at its own cost and has been for years. All the City must do is allow the demolitions. If it does so, we will proceed immediately. Recently, the City issued emergency demolition orders on select properties, with which CTC is promptly complying.
For years, CTC has made every effort to demolish all vacant houses in Sandwich, including filing numerous demolition permit applications, asking the City to issue emergency demolition orders, and even filing lawsuits seeking to be allowed to demolish the houses. The City’s leaders have consistently rejected these requests and instead used the presence of boarded up houses to demonize CTC.
West End residents should know that the Ontario Superior Court has already decided that the City is responsible for the boarded-up houses:
“It is clear from the evidence in the case that it is not in dispute that the City passed by-laws that have prevented the demolition of the houses. There cannot be any disagreement on that.” (Desando v. Canadian Transit Company, March 21, 2017 hearing transcript, p. 54)
“it was very clear on all the evidence that it was the City that was responsible for [the empty houses’] continued presence through their decision not to issue demolition permits, despite an order relating to the majority of the houses from the land use planning committee.” (Desando v. Canadian Transit Company, 2018 ONSC 1859, Paragraph 62)
These expropriations will only result in unnecessary conflict, delay, and taxpayer expense. There is an easy solution where we demolish all of the structures – the City just has to permit this - and then transfer almost all of these properties to the City.
The City is well aware that CTC has been willing to do so for years in exchange for those portions of roadways needed for our plaza expansion project. In fact, City Council approved the transaction in principle. Instead of completing the transaction, the City ceased negotiating with us and has been unwilling to meet in 2026.
Now the City appears to be deciding that it would rather litigate than negotiate, a decision that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars. The City could have received these properties without cost, by trading parts of surplus roads that have already been approved to become part of CTC’s plaza. Indeed, if the City is successful in expropriation, it will cost the taxpayers millions of dollars in just compensation. But the taxpayers don’t have to pay. CTC is ready, willing, and able to demolish any remaining vacant houses and complete the transaction with the City, saving everyone time and money, and finally putting an end to the saga of the vacant houses in Sandwich.