On May 9 Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski sent a letter to four cabinet ministers whose portfolios are applicable to the Fort Frances-International Falls Bridge situation. Powlowski wrote informing them of the plight of his constituents who are inconvenienced by the increased price of bridge tolls and the oncoming end of life of the bridge.
The following letter was addressed to Minister of Transport Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Housing Infrastructure and Communities of Canada Sean Fraser, Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Jolie.
Dear Ministers,
I am writing to request your participation in finding solutions to the ongoing challenges facing the Fort Frances-International Falls International Bridge. In October of 2023, the tolls on this essential international bridge were tripled under new ownership. This has put a tremendous strain on the community of Fort Frances given that residents rely heavily on cross border travel for work, leisure, and family business. Importantly, the Fort Frances-International Falls International Bridge is only one of two international bridges that are privately owned across Canada, and its expected life is coming to an end and it will soon need to be replaced.
The four departments addressed in this letter share responsibility in finding a solution to this problem. The Ministry of Transportation shares responsibility on this file through the National Trade Corridors Fund and its mandate to support international trade. The Ministry of Infrastructure has responsibility for supporting the upkeep and eventual replacement of this important international bridge under its mandate to invest in infrastructure. CBSA, as a key partner in international ports of entry has responsibility to ensure their safety and sustainability. GAC has responsibility on this file due to the need for cooperation with the United States and Minnesota governments.
To be clear, this process is expected to take time. The purpose of this letter is to bring the relevant parties together to work collaboratively on this important issue and to explore possible solutions. We expect and await your department’s full support in this process. My office will be organizing a meeting between the addressed parties in the coming weeks. I expect to hear back from each respective department within 10 days regarding an initial meeting.
Sincerely,
Dr. Marcus Powlowski, MP Thunder Bay -Rainy River
The letter was forwarded to the Times by MP Powlowski’s office. There is no indication as to whether or not the offices of the ministers have replied within the 10 day time frame indicated in the letter.
