Windsor West MP Harb Gill says the federal government’s answers to his questions about the Gordie Howe International Bridge leave unresolved concerns about construction costs, delays, and the agreement governing the crossing. In an interview with CTV News Friday, Gill said he wants a detailed accounting of the increase in the project’s estimated cost from $5.7 billion to $6.4 billion, along with information about potential compensation for delays. “It’s an issue of transparency and honesty at the end of the day,” Gill said. The federal government tabled a response Monday to written questions Gill submitted June 12 about the bridge’s delayed opening. His questions sought details about the issues raised by American authorities, their effect on the project’s schedule and costs, and which officials had been briefed. Gill says the answers have not provided the financial detail he is seeking. He acknowledged the pandemic and other challenges could have increased costs but said that does not remove the need to explain how the additional $700 million was spent. “The Canadian taxpayer deserves some answers,” he said. “Give us an accounting of that $700 million.” Gill compared that expectation to a mother sending her child to the market with $100. If the child comes home without the change, he said, she would expect to know where the rest went. “And if you spend it, you will just say, ‘Okay, mom, I spent it on such and such,’” Gill said. He said the same principle should apply to public spending: explain what the money paid for and why it was needed. “At least be honest and upfront,” he said. Gill also wants the release of a briefing document he described as dealing with “negotiating options.” “They have not disclosed that,” he said. “We certainly would like to see that.” He raised questions about $36.4 million in damages he said were identified in the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority’s 2024-25 annual report. Gill wants to know whether that money has been collected, whether the matter has been resolved and whether the amount has changed. “Have they claimed that money? Is it still at $36.4 million, or has it increased to another number?” he asked. Gill’s questions do not establish that an additional amount is owed or that a payment has been made. Gill also criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney’s description of the issues delaying the opening as “technical.” Gill, who described himself as a former civil engineer, said that wording suggested a potential concern with the bridge’s structure or testing. “Is it that there’s something wrong with the bridge’s structure or there’s some other testing that needs to be done?” he said. “It becomes an engineering question, almost.” According to Gill, the issues instead concerned governance and finances. “The technical issue turned out to be governance and finance,” he said. Gill also wants more information about the agreement with the United States, including revenue sharing and Canada’s ability to change toll rates. “We also need to know what else did we give up?” he said. For Gill, the unanswered questions are ultimately about how public money is handled and how those decisions are explained. “I’m hoping for answers. But I’m also disappointed in their lack of transparency and ability to answer those questions.”
