Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), gave a hint at what is holding up the opening of the new Gordie Howe Bridge.
In a visit to Windsor on Thursday, Solomon spoke on The Shift with Patty Handysides, where he alluded to the bridge opening tied to trade talks with Washington at the moment.
He says they are complicated negotiations.
Solomon says Canada’s trade team is working hard.
“I can tell you that Dominic LeBlanc, who is our lead negotiator on this, and Ambassador [Mark] Wiseman and Janice Charette, our negotiating team are talking a lot to the Americans about getting that open.”
He says they’re pushing to get it open.
“In the end of the day the most important thing is, that’s one thing, but first we’ve got to get people a bridge to get, to make sure they’re bridged throughout this tariff war so they can get on the other side of it, so we’ve got the bigger picture to worry about which is to try to get a better deal for everyone.”
Solomon says while they want the bridge open, there’s a big battle still ahead.
“You know in some ways, that’s just one element of a much larger fight we’re in right now and we’ve got to get there.”
He told reporters at a news conference that the bridge opening is part of an ongoing negotiation.
“I’ll just reiterate, we’re having productive dialogue with the United States, but you know there’s a lot of factors. The bridge is one factor, trade, there’s a lot of industries that are being impacted.”
Solomon says he’s also spoken with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and they’re both hoping to see the bridge open soon.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation has opened a section of the Herb Gray Parkway to traffic. It is the highway built to connect Highway 401 to the second bridge crossing on Windsor’s west end.
Ever since it opened in November 2015, the far outside fast lane was closed to traffic near where the highway passes St. Clair College. However, over the weekend, the traffic barriers were removed, and the fast lane is now open until the highway runs alongside E.C. Row Expressway.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a $6.7-billion project which Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority officials have said will open “spring 2026”.
with files from CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske