UPDATE – Federal: CPA responds to Gov. Whitmer on Line 5
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On February 11, the CPA published the following commentary by CPA Interim President and CEO Allan Murphy to its website and social media channels in response to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s statements about the blockade of the Ambassador Bridge. It was also published on February 17 in the Letter to the Editor section in The Hill Times, a widely read publication throughout the federal government. The article was also sent to other organizations to promote the commentary to a broader audience.
Ambassador Bridge is a vital link – as is Line 5
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been making important observations about international infrastructure when commenting on the blockade that has brought international commerce to practically a standstill at the Ambassador Bridge, which links Windsor to Detroit.
She noted the substantial impact the blockade is having on folks trying to do their jobs. “The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest land border crossing in North America, used by tens of thousands of commuters and truck drivers carrying hundreds of millions of dollars of goods every day,” she said. “Countless Michiganders rely on this daily flow of goods and people to get things done.”
The economic rationale for preserving critical international infrastructure is compelling. The Governor may want to keep in mind another piece of international infrastructure that is critical for Canada and the United States. It’s called Line 5.
Just like the Ambassador Bridge, Line 5 provides critical resources to Canada and the United States, moving some 540,000 barrels of western Canadian oil and natural gas liquids per day from Wisconsin and Michigan to Ontario. Line 5 provides critical energy to Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, but it also fuels economies in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana and Pennsylvania. And like the Ambassador Bridge, Line 5 means thousands of jobs and millions in economic activity.
The Governor makes an important case for international infrastructure. She should take the same approach to Line 5.
