Masse wonders when bridge benefits will flow
$284M released for megaproject, But Community plan still in works
There has been $630 million budgeted for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project to date, leaving local MP Brian Masse wondering exactly when the first dollar under community benefits will be spent to assist residents in Sandwich.
“Now would be good,” said Masse (NDP—Windsor-West). “How many more days will the people in Sandwich — which has some of the highest child poverty rates — not see any benefits from this massive construction project going on a kilometre away?” Community benefits are a mandatory requirement under the $5.7-billion bridge project. The project’s contractor, Bridging North America, will spend $20 million to aid host communities on both sides of the border.
Officials from the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority were in Ottawa on Nov. 20 appearing before the standing committee of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities seeking final approval for an advance $283.6 million — a required step to receive the latest budgeted instalment from the $630 million of federal funds for the bridge project.
“They asked for a quarter billion with no thoughts provided when they will provide community benefits to the public,” said Masse, who attended the committee hearing. “What they have promoted is more listening and discussions (on community benefits) when they have already been bulldozing on the west end for two years. It’s pretty bold to expect the community to live with these consequences.”
WDBA officials were in Ottawa last week to advance the latest instalment, which will cover project and construction costs, as well as the bridge authority’s operating costs, said Mark Butler, WDBA spokesman. The funding request was unanimously approved by the committee.
“This funding is important to ensure that our critical path for the preparatory activities is met and that the works are completed in time for our private-sector partner (BNA) to stage their construction activities,” Butler said. WDBA’s anticipated total funding for 2018-19 from the federal government is anticipated to be about $480 million, he said. The original 2012 crossing agreement for the Howe bridge project signed by Canada and Michigan outlined how a community benefits plan was to be included, Butler said.
“The plan will be delivered by Bridging North America with stringent oversight by WDBA,” he said.
Given the community’s request to “participate in the finalization of the community benefits plan,” there will be further consultation in the upcoming months, Butler said.
WDBA is “targeting finalization of the plan in the first quarter of 2019,” he said.
“Once the plan is finalized, steps toward implementing the plan will begin,” Butler said.
The WDBA has primarily been working with a community benefits coalition on the west end that was formed to help gather ideas and which submitted a preliminary report to the bridge authority a year ago on possible requests. The group has held roughly a dozen meetings to help narrow down priorities, said Frazier Fathers of United Way/Centraide, a member group of the coalition. Economic development opportunities, job training, environmental protection, community rehabilitation in Sandwich and improved design features were among ideas requested by the coalition, he said.
“One piece they have not discussed is a legacy fund,” Fathers said. “This is a 100-year project and it would be nice to have a little bit doled out (for the community) every year. We don’t know what the community will need in 2050 when the bridge is still up and running.”