A Canada-only ceremony is taking place Friday to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge after a joint celebration with the U.S. was cancelled earlier this week.
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.
The bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan is set to open Monday. Its ownership is shared between Michigan and the Government of Canada.
Several officials are expected to attend the Canadian ceremony, including Housing Minister Gregor Robertson, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Mayor of Windsor Drew Dilkens.
Organizers were setting up a stage Friday morning for the event at the Canadian border facility that leads to the bridge. Dozens of chairs were lined up near the stage.
There was a truck with a large image on it showing the new bridge along with pictures of Gordie Howe.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has come under fire for his explanation of the Gordie Howe International Bridge deal.
The proposed agreement in principle to open the bridge confirms that Canada will share half of net toll revenues with the U.S. for the first 15 years.
The document 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 remains in place and will see tolls split with the state after Canada is paid back decades 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.
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
