'It has been delayed': Gordie Howe Bridge constructor looks to get back on track as WDBA delivers more community benefits
'It has been delayed': Gordie Howe Bridge constructor looks to get back on track as WDBA delivers more community benefits
The timeline to complete the Gordie Howe International Bridge has been delayed by the pandemic, according to the contractor overseeing construction.
Neither the contractor nor the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) will confirm exactly how much of a delay was caused.
“The pandemic has had an impact, we’re working with WDBA to get that back in line,” said Michael Hatchell, the CEO of Bridging North America. “It has been delayed, we’re working to get it back as close to the November, 2024 timeframe.”
The WDBA is also currently working without a chief executive officer.
Former CEO Bryce Phillips resigned in early January for undisclosed reasons and now, a team of four vice-presidents and the board of directors is managing the project.
“The government of Canada is currently undertaking a process to identify or select a new CEO for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority,” said Heather Grondin, the vice president of corporate affairs and external communications.
Despite this, some major construction milestones are on the horizon.
The main pylon towers on both sides of the Detroit River are almost at peak height, expected to reach that mark by the summer.
The work to build the bridge deck across the river is about to begin.
“By the end of this year will be over probably over 200 metere out into the river, cantilevered out on each side, working towards the centre,” said Hatchell, noting the progress will really become visible to onlookers in the Spring.
COMMUNITY BENEFITS
Community members pose for a photo at the Gordie Howe International Bridge community benefits presentation in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Rich Garton/CTV News Windsor)The WDBA project team is delivering on one of its other core mandates — community benefits.
“We always approach the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project like it's more than just the bridge. We understand that this is a project that's changing the communities,” said Grondin.
The bridge authority announced Wednesday an additional $2.3 million in new benefits for 11 organizations on both sides of the river. Included in that funding is the ‘Girls Program’ at Sandwich Teen Action Group (STAG).
“Usually we have a budget to just scratch the surface or just below the surface, but this kind of funding will allow us to delve really deep into some of the roots of what’s going on with the girls and how to prepare them more for their lives,” said STAG executive director, John Elliott.
The funding is part of the Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy. The $2.3 million will be invested into four community priority areas:
$1.1 million for Community Partnerships
$659,600 for Economic Benefits
$400,000 for Community Safety and Connections
$142,000 for Aesthetics and Landscaping.
To date, the bridge authority has handed out nearly $17 million in community benefits through 40 initiatives. Five of those initiatives are considered complete.
The authority has held back $3 million for the final investment into host communities, which will be announced in early 2024.
“You’re building a bridge, but you’re also building a bridge into our communities, through relationships, through the money part of it,” said Elliott. “And then everyone wins.”
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon's Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid crisis.
Silicon Valley Bank's collapse earlier this month dealt a major blow to the wine and crypto firms that entrusted their money with and depended on the lender to stay afloat.
Fire crews remain on scene of a blaze in east London. The call came in around 1:30 a.m. for a structure fire at 720 Cabell St. near Roberts Avenue and crews immediately started a defensive fight from outside the building.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
A 34-year-old man who used to live in Sudbury is sharing his side of the story after a criminal harassment charge involving former Mayor Brian Bigger in 2021 was dropper earlier this year.
Parents had their say at a Vimy Ridge Public School town hall as the Ottawa-Carleton District School board addressed concerns around harassment and bullying.
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
The Canadian Press has learned that Ontario has granted a three-month funding extension for doctors to provide care through virtual emergency departments.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
A new regulation that comes into effect Thursday in Quebec prohibits the feeding of white-tailed deer outside of hunting season, from Dec. 1 to Aug. 31, except on l'ile d'Anticosti.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
After British Columbia singled out a Nova Scotia practitioner for writing thousands of Ozempic prescriptions to Americans through pharmacies in metro Vancouver, officials in Nova Scotia began looking into the matter.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
A Winnipeg judge is set to make a court ruling on Thursday in the trial of a retired priest accused of assaulting a woman while she was a student at a residential school more than 50 years ago
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Calgary police say they've arrested a woman in connection with a stabbing at the Lions Park LRT station that stemmed from a fight between several people.
A United Conservative Party candidate in Lethbridge claims teachers are exposing students to pornography and gender reassignment without parental knowledge.
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
Alberta's energy regulator has defended its finding that the province's largest recorded earthquake was caused by oilpatch activity, saying the pattern of temblors since last fall clearly points to a water disposal well even though there's no suggestion rules were flouted.
Cloudy skies in the Edmonton area this morning. But, after a bit of light snow overnight, it looks like the city and surrounding areas are pretty much done with the precipitation for today.
The Riverview Hospital itself has been closed for more than a decade, but 289 people are currently receiving treatment for mental health, addictions or both at the old site.
Vancouver city council has asked staff to shape a policy that would require grant recipients to engage with officials in a "respectful manner," a move that one political scientist says suggests an attempt to prevent or punish criticism.
After a man was fatally stabbed outside of a Vancouver Starbucks in front of dozens of witnesses, video of the attack is circulating on social media, raising questions about why nobody stepped in to help.
Community members pose for a photo at the Gordie Howe International Bridge community benefits presentation in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Rich Garton/CTV News Windsor)The WDBA project team is delivering on one of its other core mandates — community benefits.
