City to blame for bridge delays

Re: Profits over people in bridge battle, by Alfred (Fred) Rocheleau, Nov. 17.

The letter writer is obviously very annoyed with the Ambassador Bridge Company. He accuses it of holding up the new Gordie Howe International Bridge.

First of all, the houses were a long way from heritage, but the bridge certainly is iconic. Ironic that the people object to tearing down that which isn’t heritage (the houses) but are all for tearing down that which certainly is heritage.

The Ambassador was the longest suspension bridge at the time it was built and still is as a bridge between countries. The houses were all sold to the bridge company in the free market.

The obstacles have come from our fair city. The twin span could have been up and operating by now had not the city blocked every move the bridge company wanted to pursue.

The so-called danger of falling bridge pieces, the crowded lanes, the importance to manufacturing businesses on both sides of the border and jobs could all have been addressed by now. But the public has been and is so biased about billionaires that they have blocked and caused most of the delays.

The authors’ underlying current is the aspect of money and profit for the bridge owners.

What he has missed totally is the fact that at one time the bridge company offered the span and the terminals at both ends to the Canadians at no cost.

Now, we Canadians are putting up the money for the whole effort on both sides. Yeah right, tolls for 30 years will pay us back.

Shocking stupidity. Dick Robarts, Windsor