Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly release the details of Canada’s revised agreement with the United States on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, accusing the government of offering contradictory explanations about the deal.
In a letter sent Friday, Poilievre questioned what concessions Canada may have made to secure the bridge’s July 27 opening after weeks of delays.
“It’s been a week; it’s time for you to release the deal so Canadians can see for themselves what you negotiated away to the Americans,” Poilievre wrote.
The controversy stems from differing government descriptions of how future bridge revenues will be shared.
A senior federal source initially told CTV News that Canada would receive 50 per cent of the bridge’s toll profits during the first 15 years, with the remaining half directed to an economic development fund. The source also said any major changes to toll rates would require U.S. approval.
Prime Minister Carney later clarified that revenue sharing would only begin after Canada recovers the bridge’s construction costs and debt obligations.
“We get the revenues. Then the servicing of the costs of the bridge and paying the debt of the bridge, and then what’s left over, there’s a split of that for 15 years,” Carney said.
Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson subsequently referred to sharing “net profits,” while Carney later described the arrangement as splitting “net revenues” after operational costs, creating further confusion over the agreement’s financial terms.
The revised deal has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who argue it represents another concession to the Trump administration.
Under the original 2012 agreement, Canada agreed to finance the bridge’s full construction cost—now estimated at $6.4 billion—while retaining all toll revenue until its investment was recovered, a process expected to take at least 50 years. Only after that period would Canada and Michigan equally split revenues.
The federal government has not yet released the written agreement. The Prime Minister’s Office says both countries are still finalizing the legal and administrative details before making further information public.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, linking Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., is scheduled to officially open to traffic on July 27. The six-lane crossing is expected to ease congestion at the nearby Ambassador Bridge and strengthen cross-border trade between Canada and the United States.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly release the details of Canada’s revised agreement with the United States on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, accusing the government of offering contradictory explanations about the deal.
In a letter sent Friday, Poilievre questioned what concessions Canada may have made to secure the bridge’s July 27 opening after weeks of delays.
“It’s been a week; it’s time for you to release the deal so Canadians can see for themselves what you negotiated away to the Americans,” Poilievre wrote.
The controversy stems from differing government descriptions of how future bridge revenues will be shared.
A senior federal source initially told CTV News that Canada would receive 50 per cent of the bridge’s toll profits during the first 15 years, with the remaining half directed to an economic development fund. The source also said any major changes to toll rates would require U.S. approval.
Prime Minister Carney later clarified that revenue sharing would only begin after Canada recovers the bridge’s construction costs and debt obligations.
“We get the revenues. Then the servicing of the costs of the bridge and paying the debt of the bridge, and then what’s left over, there’s a split of that for 15 years,” Carney said.
Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson subsequently referred to sharing “net profits,” while Carney later described the arrangement as splitting “net revenues” after operational costs, creating further confusion over the agreement’s financial terms.
The revised deal has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who argue it represents another concession to the Trump administration.
Under the original 2012 agreement, Canada agreed to finance the bridge’s full construction cost—now estimated at $6.4 billion—while retaining all toll revenue until its investment was recovered, a process expected to take at least 50 years. Only after that period would Canada and Michigan equally split revenues.
The federal government has not yet released the written agreement. The Prime Minister’s Office says both countries are still finalizing the legal and administrative details before making further information public.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, linking Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., is scheduled to officially open to traffic on July 27. The six-lane crossing is expected to ease congestion at the nearby Ambassador Bridge and strengthen cross-border trade between Canada and the United States.
