Town council will meet once again with the owners of the international bridge here to try and resolve the current impasse over building a new Canada Customs facility.
Council had requested the bridge owners–M.D.&W. Railway and the International Bridge and Terminal Co.–meet a number of pre-requisites before it accepted the latest proposal for an off-bridge facility.
They included a request that any future toll increases be revealed ahead of time, and that the owners write a letter ensuring they will not oppose any future plans to build a new bridge spanning Rainy River.
But a federal rep contacted Mayor Glenn Witherspoon to inform council that the bridge owners had advised him that they would not be able to provide that information.
“I had a call from [the federal rep] stating that the resolution was feasible for the bridge company but the two amendments made it impossible,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, councillors continued to voice concern over any further toll increases at the bridge.
“People are being asked to pay a toll, to pay for a facility, to pay for an agreement between the owners and Canada Customs,” said Coun. Dave Bourgeault. “I wouldn’t mind sitting down again with the company.”
Council agreed to contact the owners to renegotiate the problems they have with the latest proposal.
During his presentation to council Monday night before the Customs facility was discussed, Geoff Gillon of the Rainy River Future Development Corp. also expressed some concern with the impending hike in tolls as it continues to focus on the U.S. market and U.S. consumers.
“One of the things we did discuss is one of the biggest factors is that we are sitting on the border, and as a district and a town, we don’t want any tolls that would inhibit that,” said Gillon.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
