Red Tape Holds Up Bridge
The months long delay of the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge caused a quite a stir among Canadian punditry and politicians.
Bridges are powerful symbols in literature representing transition, ambition, progress, and connection. The Gordie Howe Bridge over the Detroit River became a political symbol after being kyboshed by Donald Trump. Canadians' angst rose when, after years of construction and billions spent, the whole project halted on a whim. It seemed a microcosm of the relationship turmoil of our longest and most important alliance. High on the list of things Canadians love is obsessing about America.
Elbows Up
Canada, founded by people who refused to join the American Revolution, historically loves a good tussle with the Americans. We did stave off invaders from the south in 1775 and 1813, but our ancestors had a massive advantage: the British Empire. Despite the memory of Laura Secord, no Royal Navy fleet filled with Redcoats are coming across the Atlantic today. The provincial motto of Ontario is still “loyal she began, loyal she remains”. Which begs the question today: loyal to what? We need a new national narrative about what Canada is, and what we want to be. It's a conversation that’s long overdue.
The King is a Fink (Google it)
President Donald Trump is a bully, and he doesn't like any deals negotiated without his involvement. He gives nothing away without concessions, not even his signature on a bipartisan housing bill his own Republicans desperately need for the midterm elections. If Trump literally will not lift a finger to help his own party secure his own power, then a bridge to Canada has zero value in his mind. Its not a comment on US/Canada relations, its just one man’s ego.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/10/politics/trump-housing-bill
The real reason for the bridge holdup is the old Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit is owned by a private company, and every day the Gordie Howe Bridge is delayed keeps the monopoly toll profits flowing. A political donation gets an audience with a White House official. Then Trump withholds permission for the required international border crossing because he did not negotiate the bridge deal. If you need something from Trump, you have to give him something in return. Sure its corrupt, but its something the Americans have to fix for themselves.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/gordie-howe-bridge-backgrounder-9.7100029
What Canadians have to fix for ourselves is this idea that we can fight the Americans on equal terms; we cannot. They are ten times our size. Save the elbows for hockey; we need to use our brains in this game. Canada needs a definition for itself that goes beyond simply being anti-American. Until we figure that out, Canadians will continually be reacting on the back foot to the latest antics from Washington.
Sometimes a bridge is just a bridge.
Share this article
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
