RC123 MarApr 2026 - Magazine - Page 4
EDITOR’S NOTE
WE STAND ON GUARD
by John Tenpenny
IT’S FITTING THAT in the previous issue of ReNew Canada we highlighted the Gordie Howe
International Bridge as a Top100 project that has reached substantial completion.
Considering the inane comments from the leader of our southern neighbour—he who shall
not be named—the milestone reached on the $6.4-billion bridge underscores the great work
done by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, a not-for-pro昀椀t Crown corporation responsible
for the construction and operation of the new crossing.
The dubious reasons behind the calls for preventing the bridge from opening are not
even worth rehashing here other than to point out that, though paid for by the Canadian
government, the bridge is jointly owned along with the State of Michigan, with toll revenue
being used to repay the federal government for its 昀椀nancing of the entire project.
Claims that “no American materials or labour were used during construction” are also
patently false. Under the Canada–Michigan Crossing Agreement signed June 15, 2012, the deal
required iron and steel to be sourced from Canada or the United States.
The conditions of the deal weren’t forced on anyone and were touted by U.S. o昀케cials,
including you know-who, in a statement issued after a 2017 meeting with then-prime minister
Justin Trudeau.
“Given our shared focus on infrastructure investments, we will encourage opportunities for
companies in both countries to create jobs through those investments. In particular, we look
forward to the expeditious completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will
serve as a vital economic link between our two countries.”
The entire power play is nothing more than a smokescreen for ratcheting up pressure
on Prime Minister Carney and his government to bow to U.S. pressure on certain items on
the agenda for the upcoming negotiations of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement
(CUSMA).
All this pointless grandstanding also serves as a reminder that the current U.S.
administration has no collective memory of—and no inclination to build on—our shared
history of working together on public works projects like the Gordie Howe International
Bridge.
The building of the St. Lawrence Seaway was a massive joint US-Canadian project
connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, which was constructed between 1954 and 1959. It
involved 22,000 workers, 15 locks, extensive dredging, and the creation of Lake St. Lawrence,
with costs nearing $500 million, ultimately transforming North American inland shipping, by
allowing deep-draft ocean vessels to access the Great Lakes. The Seaway remains a critical,
high-volume shipping artery today, with an average of 50 million tons of cargo, such as grain,
iron ore, and coal, moving through it annually.
Like the Seaway, the new cross-border bridge is a true bi-lateral project that will bene昀椀t
Canadian and American citizens alike.
And remember, until the Gordie Howe International Bridge o昀케cially opens, consider
taking the Windsor-Detroit tunnel instead. The City of Windsor owns half of the tunnel and
receives dividends from its operation.
MARCH/APRIL 2026
VOLUME 24, NUMBER 2
EDITOR
John Tenpenny
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
Corinne Lynds
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Warren Frey
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Connie Vitello
ART DIRECTOR AND SENIOR DESIGNER
Gordon Alexander
CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS
Ashish Jain, Ezequiel Machabanski,
Brandon Milner, Edward Poon, RJ Steenstra,
Michelle Throsell, Ana-Maria Tomlinson
RENEW CANADA ADVISORY BOARD
Quentin Chiotti, Bill Ferreira, Mark Gaglione,
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Panneton, Jesse Unke, Duncan Williams
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Min Do
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