Opening of Gordie Howe bridge delayed 'at the request' of the United States: Carney

The gap of the Gordie irving howe International bridge over was delayed at the call for of the United States, ground Minister Mark Carney said Thursday afternoon.

Hours after the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority postponed a planned ribbon-cutting event on Friday, Carney said there were "a few issues that have been raised."

"At the request of the United States, we agreed to delay the opening and take the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues, a few issues that have been raised," said Carney, speaking to reporters at an event unveiling a food security strategy. 

"We're going to work through some issues that have come up, and for a bridge that is going to be in place and serve Canadians, Americans, others for decades, a question of a few weeks is time well spent."

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"There are some things that have been raised, a series of technical aspects which we'll work through with the United States," he said.

"The administration remains committed to securing the best possible deal for the American people," the statement read.

Earlier this year, Trump threatened to stall the opening of the bridge until the U.S. Is compensated, despite Canada paying entirely for the construction of the bridge and it being jointly owned with the state of Michigan. 

Gordie Howe International Bridge opening delayed, bridge official says

Carney would not elaborate on what the outstanding issues are.

However, he did differentiate between discussions over the bridge and those surrounding the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement (CUSMA). "The issues that have been raised have been raised by the U.S. Administration as a whole, and are being addressed," he said.

"There are separate discussions, the previous question, related to CUSMA and our trade side which are ongoing ... But I would distinguish the two."

Canada delayed bridge opening 'at the request of the United States,' Carney says

Dominic LeBlanc, the Canadian federal minister for Canada-U.S. Trade, said Thursday the country has "a few remaining issues that we want to work through with the United States."

But LeBlanc said he's optimistic those issues can be resolved quickly and the bridge can be opened.

LeBlanc said the government has had conversations with the state of Michigan this week, and that the Canadian and U.S. Ambassadors have been working for a number of weeks on the bridge opening.

Reporter

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