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Printed Nov 04, 2024 • 3 minute learn

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Law enforcement officials kind a line to clear the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge by Freedom Convoy supporters in Windsor on Feb. 13, 2022. Photograph by Nathan Denette /Canadian Press

The Metropolis of Windsor is suing the federal authorities for roughly $900,000 in prices stemming from the 2022 Ambassador Bridge blockade.

With all 10 metropolis councillors standing by his aspect at metropolis corridor, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens introduced the lawsuit on Monday, roughly 33 months after protesters offended about COVID-19 mandates reduce off entry to the busiest border crossing in North America.

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The week-long blockade prompted an almost $7-million response from town, most of which went to policing and authorized charges.

Though Ottawa final yr reimbursed Windsor for about $6.1 million in bills, it left town on the hook for $900,491, an quantity metropolis council is now pursing in courtroom.

“This metropolis council, all of us as Windsorites, we stepped as much as assist deal with a federal financial emergency,” mentioned Dilkens. “All we’re asking for right here is equity and reimbursement of the prices that Windsor property taxpayers paid to see that occur.”

The lawsuit, possible the primary one the Metropolis of Windsor has ever launched in opposition to the federal authorities, has three important objectives. It seeks full reimbursement of all prices town incurred responding to the blockade, a proper declaration of federal accountability for policing and securing federal border crossings, and compensation for ongoing bills associated to defending Windsor’s worldwide border crossings.

“This lawsuit at this time is a stand for equity,” mentioned Dilkens. “It’s a stand for accountability, and it’s a stand for the federal authorities to do what’s proper by the residents of this metropolis.”

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Town mentioned the authorized motion underscores its “continued demand for equitable assist in defending federal infrastructure, which is important for the Metropolis and Canada as a complete.”

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens speaks throughout a press convention on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024 at Metropolis Corridor concerning a lawsuit in opposition to the federal authorities over unpaid prices from the 2022 Ambassador Bridge blockade. Photograph by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star All 10 members of Windsor Metropolis Council be part of Mayor Drew Dilkens at Metropolis Corridor on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, to announce that Windsor will take the uncommon step to sue the federal authorities over $900,000 town says it’s nonetheless owed for Ambassador Bridge blockade prices from 2022. Photograph by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

Finalized prices referring to the bridge blockade totalled simply shy of $7 million. Nearly all of these bills stemmed from policing and authorized charges. The remaining got here from public works, Transit Windsor, emergency medical companies, fireplace and rescue companies, parks and services, and communications.

In September 2023, Liberal Public Security Minister Dominic LeBlanc mentioned Public Security Canada would situation town $6,094,915 to assist cowl “extraordinary bills incurred in coping with and ending the unlawful blockade” in February 2022.

The letter referred to as the reimbursement an “extraordinary measure” to assist Windsor residents, “and guarantee their taxes should not in the end rerouted to bear prices” from the blockade.

On the time, Dilkens referred to as the funding shortfall one of many “most offensive issues” he’d seen in his then 17-years on the council desk. He argued town was pressured to reply instantly to “an incident that clearly was not a municipal situation.”

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In December 2022, then-Minister of Public Security Marco Mendicino introduced as much as $6.9 million to cowl blockade bills, together with for policing. Town mentioned Monday that the federal authorities pledged the $6.9 million, “by means of an official settlement,” to completely cowl Windsor’s blockade prices.

Town mentioned that settlement, struck on Dec. 29, 2022, was “essential” within the 2023 municipal budgeting course of.

Three months later, Public Security Canada contacted metropolis employees and requested them to supply additional clarification of the prices incurred. Following the overview, the federal entity suggested metropolis employees that the funding couldn’t exceed the beforehand introduced $6.9 million, leaving a shortfall.

Then a September 2023 letter from LeBlanc to the mayor’s workplace introduced the federal authorities had accepted nearly $6.1 million to help Windsor.

Solely half of town’s $1,780,982 in authorized charges have been lined. As well as, town’s request for $10,000 to compensate for foregone transit income was not accepted.

Protesters yell at police as they try and clear the anti-mandate blockade of the Ambassador Bridge on Huron Church Highway, on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022. Photograph by Dax Melmer /Windsor Star

Town mentioned Monday that the feds refused to compensate the excellent $900,491 in bills, however “supplied no legitimate authorized purpose for this refusal.”

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“They don’t wish to make Windsorites entire,” mentioned Dilkens. “All of us really feel aggrieved by these actions, as a result of we all know what it took to ship the response (to the blockade).”

The Ambassador Bridge blockade noticed protesters against pandemic mandates, together with masking and vaccine insurance policies, occupy Huron Church Highway close to the mouth of the bridge for every week in February 2022. A whole lot of law enforcement officials, together with many introduced in from outdoors of Windsor, helped dismantle the blockade.

The bridge shutdown triggered native job layoffs and short-term manufacturing unit closures.

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