Andrew MacDougall, former director of communications for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has branded U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra's assertion that Canada did not pay for the Gordie Howe International Bridge as 'a punch in the face' and accused the Trump administration of repeatedly striking its friends.
Hoekstra's comments spark backlash
In an interview with the National Post, MacDougall said the Trump administration 'has shown time and time again that it will punch its friends in the face.' He was reacting to Hoekstra's remarks on the July 2 edition of The Food Professor podcast, where the ambassador called Canada footing the bill for the bridge 'the big myth that is out there.' Hoekstra stated, 'I think it's important that people realize this, okay? Because I hear it all the time. What does America have to do with this? We paid for the bridge. It's our bridge. Just open it.'
Hoekstra acknowledged that Canada loaned the bridge authority $7 billion for construction but argued that revenue from tolls would repay the cost. 'The bridge will actually be paid for by the folks who are using the bridge. It will not be paid for by the Canadian government. So, Canada put the money up front, but at the end of the day, the expectation is that there will be a “use tax” that will pay for the bridge,' he said.
MacDougall and others cry gaslighting
MacDougall responded on social media, calling Hoekstra 'The Ambassador for Gaslight to Canada.' Perrin Beatty, former president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, echoed the sentiment, writing on X: 'Apparently, the US is being cheated because Canada paid to build the Gordie Howe Bridge. Here’s how Cleveland Health describes how to tell when you’re being gaslighted.' Dimitri Soudas, also a former Harper communications director who left less than a year before the 2012 Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement was signed, said in a post that he was 'in the room' during negotiations and added, 'history doesn’t become fiction just because you say it on television.'
MacDougall, who was director of communications when the crossing agreement was signed in June 2012, emphasized that Canada's upfront payment and loan arrangement are well-documented facts. The bridge, connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, is a key trade link, and the funding structure has been a point of contention in Canada-U.S. relations.
Context of the dispute
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a $5.7 billion project, with Canada providing $4 billion in loans and $1.7 billion in direct contributions. The bridge is expected to open in late 2025 and will be operated by a Canadian entity, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. Hoekstra's comments come amid ongoing trade tensions between Canada and the United States, including disputes over tariffs and the renegotiation of the USMCA trade agreement.
