Windsor-West MP Brian Masse held a town hall Tuesday night while in Washington, D.C., bringing up the idea of free tolls for Canadian commercial traffic on the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
During the hour-long call, Masse fielded questions from constituents, primarily about the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian exports.
Masse was asked if Canada can force the U.S. to repay for the construction of the bridge in retaliation for the tariffs.
“No, we can’t,” Masse admitted.
He did say the bridge has been built with steel from both sides of the border.
“I wanted 100 per cent Canadian steel. I got 50 per cent built into it. They didn’t want to go 100 per cent,” Masse said.
The MP then suggested what Canada could do is make it toll-free for Canadian drivers until the cost of the bridge is paid in full.
“We can bring in policies because we control tolling,” Masse said.
“This makes it easier for Canadian companies to actually access the new bridge and then on top of it, it lowers costs for them.”
When the deal was finalized to build the GHIB, the Canadian government agreed to pay for the construction.
In return, Canada will collect all the tolls until the bridge is paid off.
The $6.4 billion bridge is currently slated to open to traffic in the fall of 2025.
When CTV News reached out to GHIB officials for comment on Masse’s idea, they issued the following statement:
Since tolls have not been set yet by Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), it would be premature to comment on Brian Masse’s idea.
— Spokesperson, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority
