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THE LATEST<\/strong> \u00a0\u2013 Prime Minister Mark Carney says he spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump today about the Gordie Howe International Bridge after Trump threatened to prevent it from opening.<\/p>\n In a social media post late Monday, Trump insisted the U.S. must be compensated before he\u2019ll allow the bridge to open.<\/p>\n He claimed the bridge was built with virtually no U.S. content.<\/p>\n Carney says he explained to Trump that Canada paid for the bridge, that the ownership is shared between the government of Michigan and the government of Canada and that steel from both countries was used in its construction.<\/p>\n The bridge connecting Windsor, Ont. and Detroit is supposed to open sometime this winter after delays.<\/p>\n The Trump administration endorsed the bridge project in 2017 during his first term in office.<\/p>\n U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening not to allow a new bridge linking Windsor, Ont., and Detroit to open, arguing that the United States should first be compensated.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trump said in a social media post Monday that the U.S. will \u201cimmediately\u201d start negotiations over the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is set to open early this year after delays.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said the U.S. should own \u201cat least one half of this asset.\u201d<\/p>\n In his post, Trump said Canada has treated the United States \u201cvery unfairly\u201d for decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said Canada owns both the Canadian and American sides of the bridge, which he said was built with \u201cvirtually no U.S. content.\u201d<\/p>\n The government of Canada website says it\u2019s funding the entire project, which will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan.\u00a0<\/p>\n The project is expected to cost $6.4 billion, up from the original $5.7 billion.<\/p>\n Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that \u201cblocking or barricading bridges is a self-defeating move.\u201d<\/p>\n Laing said the Trump administration was right in 2017 in its joint statement that endorsed the bridge as a priority project. She added that modern border infrastructure strengthens shared economic security.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough decades of collaboration, Canada and the United States build things together, create jobs together and compete globally together,\u201d said Laing. \u201cThe path forward isn\u2019t deconstructing established trade corridors, it\u2019s actually building bridges.\u201d<\/p>\n Stacey LaRouche, press secretary to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, said the Gordie Howe International Bridge is \u201call about jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good for Michigan workers and it\u2019s good for Michigan\u2019s auto industry,\u201d said LaRouche, noting that the construction of the bridge was financed by Canada and that it was built by union construction workers from both sides of the border. \u201cThis project has been a tremendous example of bipartisan and international co-operation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to open one way or another, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting.\u201d<\/p>\n U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin said cancelling the project would have \u201cserious repercussions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHigher costs for Michigan businesses, less secure supply chains and ultimately, fewer jobs,\u201d the Michigan senator said on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWith this threat, the president is punishing Michiganders for a trade war he started.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2012, former prime minister Stephen Harper announced the construction of the bridge, and it was later announced it would be named after the hockey legend who starred for the Detroit Red Wings. Construction on the bridge began in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n The government of Canada website says the project will provide an additional crossing option at \u201cone of the busiest Canada-U.S. commercial border crossings.\u201d<\/p>\n It says many permanent jobs will be created for the operation and maintenance of the bridge and ports of entry once open. It also says the bridge will provide \u201cthe capacity to increase trade and encourage investment between Canada and the U.S., supporting the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Canadian governor general Micha\u00eblle Jean and her husband, filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond, created a documentary looking at the construction of the bridge as a symbol of historical, economic and cultural connections between Windsor and Detroit.<\/p>\n Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said on social media in June that the city is an international gateway between Canada and the U.S., and that the new bridge will be \u201canother strong link within our storied \u2018Two-Nation Destination.’\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nTHE ISSUE<\/h3>\n