Canada, Michigan to have reached deal on bridge

Canada and the governor of Michigan have reached a deal for a second bridge linking Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, Mich., say anonymous sources quoted by the Globe and Mail, the CBC and the Toronto Star.

According to the Globe and Mail, the deal will become official as soon as Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet aproves it, which is expected to happen on Wednesday.

The Toronto Star says the Prime Minister himself and the Michigan Governor Rick Snyder will be posing for an official announcement by the Windsor waterfront as soon as Friday.

The deal has drawn positive comments even from the opposition. The NDP’s border relations critic Brian Masse was quoted by the CBC, saying: “I feel good about the potential here. I feel very confident that we will see something happen in a positive way [Wednesday].”

The new bridge would cost approximately $1 billion to build and another $2.5 billion for its surrounding infrastructure, but it has been a long time coming. Trade estimates put 25 per cent of all goods sold between Canada and the United States cross the border over the existing Ambassador Bridge, which has been privately owned since it opened in 1929. The Moroun family, which controls the Ambassador Bridge is expected to continue opposing the new project.