COLUMN: On Parliament Hill – Skating on thin ice: What did Canada give away on the Gordie Howe Bridge?

Imagine going into business with your neighbour where you fund the entire project and take all the risk, understanding that all revenues will go to you until your original investment is fully repaid. But just as the business is about to launch, your neighbour decides they want all the revenues shared 50-50 with no consideration to your original deal—and you agree!

That seems to be just what has happened with the Gordie Howe Bridge. As reported in Stephanie Ha’s article for CTV News, Canada agreed to assume the cost of constructing the bridge back in 2012, which has now totalled $6.4 billion. Canada was to collect the toll revenue to pay operating costs and interest, and any remaining net profit would then be used to pay down the cost of construction. Only once the construction costs were reimbursed in full would revenues begin to be split between the two countries.

Now, voices from the U.S. are arguing against that agreement saying, “(Canada) will get that money back in time,” suggesting Canada was just financing the bridge.

Then, as referenced by multiple news outlets, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick posted on the weekend, “The USA struck a great deal with respect to the Gordie Howe Bridge. Before this deal we got NOTHING. Now, the U.S. gets 50 percent of net revenues until 2041 and a say in setting the tolls. Our share is before interest and principal.” Lutnick ends his post by referencing U.S. President Donald Trump’s book, “This is the Art of the Deal in action.”

Andrew MacDougall, former communications director to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, wrote in the Toronto Star that under the original agreement, Canada would receive 100 percent of Gordie Howe Bridge toll revenue until its construction costs were repaid.

The Conservative Shadow Minister for Canada-United States Relations, Shuv Majumdar said in his statement: “For over a decade, Canadians have planned, paid for, taken on the risk of, and built the Gordie Howe International Bridge under a simple principle: we pay 100 percent of the cost, and we get 100 percent of the tolls until the cost is repaid. Yet after construction had been completed, Prime Minister Mark Carney capitulated to American demands for half the tolls while contributing nothing to the construction.”

Now, the bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, sits ready to open. Originally scheduled to open on June 15, 2026, it is now planned to open July 27. The bigger question, however, is: What did Canada get in return for amending the original deal?

That’s what Conservatives are asking. While we already know transparency is not a given with this government, Canadians deserve to know what we gave away. Remember when Mr. Carney promised during the election that he could “handle Trump” and would “negotiate a win” for Canada. Canadians deserve to know what Canada received in return for this new concession.

That’s why last Friday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre published an open letter asking for those details.

The documents have yet to be released and the Prime Minister’s Office is saying that it’s not an actual agreement but rather an “agreement in principle.” Yet Liberal ministers have referenced publicly specific terms of the agreement. Added confusion, Prime Minister Carney and Minister Robertson have used different terminology when asked about the bridge. PM Carney used “revenue” and Minister Robertson used “profit”. The distinction matters. As CTV’s Ha explains, “Net revenue… is the total amount of money a company makes after sales and discounts, while net profit refers to what remains after deducting all business expenses, including operating costs.” These are not interchangeable terms, and the difference could have significant implications for what Canada ultimately receives under the agreement.

But there are even bigger concerns here.

According to a copy of the new pact released to Bloomberg, there is no provision to cover Canada’s debt-service costs on the project.

The Globe and Mail’s Steven Chase wrote the shared profits with the U.S. do not include a provision for debt repayment according to Canadian government sources, which is an apparent contradiction to what PM Carney said last Sunday.

If the reports are accurate, it would support President Trump’s characterization of the agreement. Boasting on social media, he called this new deal a “MUCH BETTER DEAL” for America—a statement that raises an obvious question: if it was a much better deal for the U.S., how could it possibly be better for Canada?

Back in February, Mr. Trump had posted his grievance with the bridge as an ongoing issue between Canada and the U.S. At the time, the New York Times reported that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had met with longtime advocate against the Gordie Howe International Bridge, Ambassador Bridge owner Matthew Moroun, only hours before. Windsor’s mayor, according to the National Post, believes that million-dollar MAGA campaign donor and private operator of the Ambassador Bridge, the Moroun family, have interests that are in play here.

Clearly, Canadians need to know how their money is being stewarded. What changed and who approved what, and furthermore, who is benefiting? It is on the Liberal government to show this deal whether it be just an agreement in principle or fully fleshed out — and if not in the best interests of Canadians, then who?

That’s why Conservatives are asking for the deal to be released so Canadians can see for themselves.