Feds are open to working with Windsor after the city filed a blocking lawsuit

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Just a day after Windsor announced a lawsuit against the federal government for more compensation resulting from the Ambassador Bridge blockage, Canada’s Public Safety Minister said his government is “always open to working together” with the city.

During Tuesday’s question period in the House of Commons, Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the city, the province and its government were partners in February 2022 “in an effort to bring this terrible crisis to a peaceful end.”

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LeBlanc did not directly answer MP Brian Masse’s (NDP – Windsor West) question about whether the government would reimburse the city for remaining costs related to the blockade, which closed the busiest border crossing in North America for a week.

“I was happy to have the opportunity to speak with the mayor of Windsor a few months ago,” LeBlanc said. “My colleagues on this side of the House have also spoken to me about what we can do to support the City of Windsor.

“We are always open to working with the City of Windsor. They have been a valuable partner to our government.”

On Monday, the city of Windsor filed a lawsuit against the federal government for $900,491, mainly to cover legal costs arising from the blockade that Ottawa has refused to reimburse.

The government of Canada has reimbursed Windsor for approximately $6.1 million of the nearly $7 million in expenses related to the border blockade by anti-mandatory protesters. It told the city that legal fees were not recoverable, although they ultimately covered half of the city’s legal costs.

Windsor residents have had it so hard

“Windsor is once again being abused and taken for granted by the Liberals,” Masse said during question time this week. “It is a sad situation that the city must sue the federal government to recoup the costs of the Ambassador Bridge blockade.

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“The Liberals are leaving Windsor taxpayers to foot the bill. This means less money for roads, parks, housing and emergency services, fewer services for Windsor because of Liberal failures.

“Rather than forcing Windsor to fight in court, will this government reimburse the city and finally take responsibility for federal border costs, as it should?”

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said Monday that the city council agreed months ago to take legal action but waited as he and city staff continued to advocate for Windsor’s healing to ministers past and present.

“We have still tried to find a sensible solution to this, but it doesn’t seem to be coming true,” Dilkens said.

“We always weigh the costs against the benefits. In this particular case, we believe that the residents of Windsor have been so severely affected by this decision that we believe it is an arbitrary decision.”

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In February 2022, anti-COVID mandate protesters blocked Huron Church Road, a six-lane highway leading to the Ambassador Bridge. The blockage closed North America’s busiest trade route, led to local layoffs and wreaked havoc on industry supply chains.

A large part of the costs of ending the conflict consisted of paying for the deployment of external police services. Earlier this week, MP Irek Kusmierczyk told the Star that his Liberal government has been “a very strong partner for this community” and that “the province needs to step up as well.”

On any given day, between $300 million and $450 million in commerce moves across the Ambassador Bridge.

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