A Canada-only ceremony took place Friday to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, as the Liberal government faces more questions about a new revenue-sharing deal with the U.S.
A joint celebration with the U.S. on the bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan was cancelled earlier this week. President Donald Trump said on social media Friday that Canada "disinvited" the United States of America from the event, which he said is "fine, considering they are paying substantial TARIFFS to the United States."
" … The original Deal on the Bridge, which was terribly negotiated by a previous Administration, no longer stands," he said. "We changed the terms of the Deal so that the United States of America now gets 50% of the Profit," he posted.
The federal government said Tuesday that in light of U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats, Canada would not be celebrating the opening of the bridge in a joint event.
Trump threatened Monday to hit an array of Canadian products with 50 per cent tariffs in 30 days.
American officials said the new levies are a response to provincial bans on U.S. alcohol, Canada's supply-managed dairy system and quotas on American cars.
Carney said he spoke with Trump on Tuesday morning and they agreed to intensify trade negotiations.
Several officials attended the Canadian ceremony, including Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Mayor of Windsor Drew Dilkens.
At a press conference following the ceremony, Robertson said that the 2012 agreement and the new agreement in principle remain unchanged from Canada's perspective.
"I think there's been lots of emotion, lots of back and forth in these recent weeks, but these agreements are in place and they are public, available. They set forth the terms and conditions," Robertson said. "We're looking forward to getting the bridge open on Monday."
The 15-year agreement to open the bridge is separate from the deal Ottawa signed in 2012 which saw Canada shoulder the cost of construction.
The Harper government signed a deal in 2012 which committed Ottawa to shouldering the full $6.4 billion cost of building the bridge while sharing ownership with Michigan. Under that plan, the two sides would split toll revenues only once Canada's construction debt, including interest, was paid off.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has come under fire over his statements on the Gordie Howe International Bridge deal.
The proposed agreement in principle to open the bridge says Canada will share half of net toll revenues with the U.S. for the first 15 years. It also says Canada's payments will be made to a United States-Canada Economic Development Fund controlled by the U.S. government.
Carney said on previous occasions that the tolls would not be split with the United States until after Canada's debt to build the bridge is paid back.
Speaking to reporters in Charlottetown Thursday, the prime minister said he was referring to the original agreement with Michigan, which he said remains in place and will see tolls split with the state after Canada is paid back about 50 years from now.
Carney acknowledged he was not as clear as he could have been when explaining the nature of the deal in recent weeks.
"Could I have explained it better on a Sunday morning at Stampede? Yeah. With a cowboy hat on? Yes, I could have explained it better," he said.
Robertson said Friday the agreement in principle states that if there are net revenues in the first 15 years, they are shared. He said they will be invested on the U.S. side in community economic development to help drive traffic and produce toll revenue for the bridge.
"At this point, we don't anticipate a lot of net revenue in the initial years of this bridge," he said. "We anticipate being paid back in over 50 years. It's a long term payback. Canada will be paid back for this bridge, that's part of the deal."
Conservatives have accused the prime minister of caving to the United States to get the bridge open and misinforming Canadians about the plan to split tolls.
Conservative MP Shuvaloy Majumdar argued at a news conference in Hamilton, Ont., on Wednesday that the government "lied."
Conservative MP Kelly McCauley said on social media Thursday that opposition members on the House of Commons government operations committee have told him they're calling for an urgent investigation into the details of the deal and government statements about it.
He said that, as chair of the committee, he will convene a meeting on July 29 to allow the committee "to get to the bottom of the matter."
NDP MP Heather McPherson said in an email Wednesday that the bridge is critical public infrastructure and Canadians "deserve to know exactly what is happening with it."
Picture Courtesy: AP Photo/Paul Sancya
