Border Bunch

Just a bunch of small stories that I thought you might find of interest dealing with border matters.

DRILLING FOR GOLD

The gold is what the consultants will be receiving for a multi-million drilling program on both sides of the border. They are drilling to ensure that the new bridge will not be built in a sink hole or salt mine or some such other spot where it might come tumbling down.

Interestingly they are also drilling near the Sterling Fuels location. I asked at a Community Consulting Group meeting why they are spending money to do that since a bridge would have to go over petroleum tanks. That did not seem to me to make much sense. I asked if the tanks were going to be removed or relocated. They did not have an answer for that yet.

Seems to me that there is no point in drilling at about $500K to $1M per hole in that area (I think they need 5 or 6 holes) unless a decision has been made about the tanks first.

Then I learned that there are underground storage points for various fuels. Do you think it makes sense to build a bridge over or near them? What happens if there is an explosion, even if it is underground? Would that be a risk to a bridge and make for an obvious terrorist target

Imagine if they built a twinned bridge beside the Ambassaador Bridge. They could have saved $6-10 million of taxpayer dollars and not had the storage problem.

WE THINK THE MONEY WILL COME

I got annoyed about all of the spending going on so I asked MTO's Dave Wake at a CCG meeting the other evening what their position was now that Michigan's House and Senate pulled the funding from DRIC.

Dave's response was the that they hoped that money would still come. I asked how that would happen unless the Governor vetoed the resolutions, something unlikely in an election year. When I challenged that assertion I was told my question had been answered.

FORGET ABOUT A 6 KM TUNNEL

Here is the route and what will be built from Highway 401 courtesy of Sean O'Dell Executive Director, Windsor Gateway Project, Transport Canada in the Letter to the Editor section of the Star.

• "The DRIC study, in consultation with the community, is thoroughly investigating a range of options for a six-lane controlled access highway from the 401 to the new river crossing, which will provide for non-stop traffic from Highway 401 to the border, reduce truck emissions by eliminating stop-and-go traffic, and quite possibly, return Talbot Road and Huron Church Road south of E.C. Row, to municipal use.
  
  After the investigations and analysis are complete, it is possible that the best option for the route might be a combination of tunnelling, at-grade roadways (parallel to Huron Church Road), and depressed roadways.
  
  While the configuration for this controlled access highway has not yet been determined, none of the options currently under consideration proposes combining the existing roads with the proposed highway."

So we are told what the "best option" would be even though it is in "qualified" language. A man in Sean's postion would not say something unless he knew it was true.

Interestingly, he did not talk about what would happen north of EC Row. I can tell you the answer to that. A road will be built along the WALTS/Schwartz suggested routing but to the Ambassador Bridge with a possible link-up to a bridge to be built in the Ojibway area at some future indefinite time. That will be how the Senior Levels justify what is inevitable.

WHAT LONDON KNOWS THAT WINDSOR DOES NOT

DO NOT SNUB THE SENIOR LEVELS

Did you see the big announcement about construction in London:

• "The governments of Canada and Ontario and the City of London today announced the start of construction to widen and improve Highway 401 in London, which leads to Canada's two busiest international border crossings at Windsor and Sarnia."
  

London's acting Mayor said in the press release:

• "This updated interchange is great news for London's economy as it promises to ease traffic congestion and provide our business community with significantly enhanced access to the 401 trade corridor and the United States border... And, by partnering with the province and the federal government on this infrastructure fund project, we're also reinforcing London's Transportation Master Plan and Industrial Land Strategy. Aecon Construction will start construction immediately this week, and expects to complete it by 2007."

They also stated that "The governments of Canada and Ontario continue to work together to tackle congestion at Canada-United States border crossings. They are investing $323 million for improvements to highways and border crossings in the Sarnia, Niagara and London areas under the Border Infrastructure Fund. The fund is designed for projects that reduce border congestion, improve the flow of goods and services, and expand infrastructure over the medium term."

The moral of the story for the benefit and information of Councillor Valentinis and his colleagues is "Press release and ye shall receive!"

MORE ON THE TUNNEL

I received this note from a gentleman at a leading, full service Customs Broker in Windsor

• "I recently sent a letter to Eddy Francis to request the Windsor Tunnel Offsite (northeast corner of McDougall & Hanna) facility be closed. It is the opinion of Customs Brokers, upper management of Canada Customs (CBSA), Windsor Commercial Operations and the city of Windsor, Corporate Services Department that this operation has become much less of a contribution to border management. Furthermore, the resources at this location could be more effectively used at locations that handle greater volumes of commercial truck traffic and offer more security, not to mention the revenue to the city of Windsor from the sale of this property.
  
  When I first sent a letter to Mike Hurst back in 2003 there were approximately one hundred trucks per day inbound that use the Detroit Windsor Tunnel crossing, not all of which reported to the Tunnel Offsite due to pre-authorized customs clearance. The number of commercial clearances has further decreased due to Canada Customs reduced hours of service. Daimler Chrysler is the largest user of the tunnel yet they do not report to the offsite because of their line release authorization. Canada Customs and Customs Brokers are finding this location difficult while costly to manage because of the additional staff and equipment required at an underused facility. More importantly, these resources could be utilized more effectively at facilities which handle the majority of commercial truck traffic and the Windsor Airport where there is potential for increased volumes of commercial air traffic. The tunnel offsite is not a competitive business entity given that most commercial trucks use enhanced electronic release programs, and secondary facilities that provide 24/7 service by Canada Customs. The primary station/booth located at the corner of Goyeau and Wyandotte would service the majority of commercial trucks that are pre-authorized or use line release and direct others to the secondary offsite facilities with longer hours of service much like what has been done on the Detroit side of the Tunnel that has been successful. The Nexus program could also be handled from the Tunnel truck primary location. The sale of this property would provide the city of Windsor a better return on their investment and create a more concentrated Border Management approach.