City, partners seek federal funds for businesses impacted by Ambassador Bridge blockade

The City of Windsor and local partners are asking the federal government to offer financial support to local businesses impacted by the Ambassador Bridge blockade. 

The city, the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce, and Tourism Windsor Essex & Pelee Island wrote a letter to the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario asking for supports similar to those offered to Ottawa businesses following protests in that city. 

On Saturday, the government announced it would funnel $20 million to Ottawa businesses affected by three weeks of vaccine mandate protests in the downtown core.

Under the program, small businesses will be able to apply for up to $10,000 to help pay non-deferrable operational costs not covered by other federal programs. The initiative is funded through the federal development agency for the region and run by Invest Ottawa, in collaboration with local business improvement associations.

"We were disappointed to learn, recently, that the program established by your ministry and administered by Invest Ottawa was limited to downtown-Ottawa area businesses, and expressly excluded those businesses which continue to see impacts in west-end Windsor," read the letter signed by Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Windsor chamber president Rakesh Naidu, and Tourism Windsor-Essex CEO Gordon Orr. 

The letter states that while the six-day blockade of the Ambassador Bridge has ended, "national security threats" continue resulting in the need for "heightened security presence along Huron Church Road."

The road continues to be blocked at several intersections by police, more than a week after protesters were removed from the site. 

The city and its partners say businesses in the area are continuing to suffer due to a lack of access to the establishments.

"We urge you to offer similar compensation as your government has done to impacted businesses in downtown Ottawa to the comparatively much smaller number of impacted entrepreneurs here in Windsor," the letter states. 

"To not offer comparable support sends a clear signal from your Government that businesses in Windsor are second-class to those in the shadow of Parliament Hill."

Federal transport minister in Windsor this week

Meanwhile, federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra arrived in Windsor this week to speak with business owners and others impacted by the bridge blockade. 

Alghabra said Wednesday he's spoken with Dilkens about the economic toll the closure had.

"I assured the mayor we are listening, as we've done in the past we're here to support the City of Windsor the people of Windsor, and I'll take back his requests and his feedback with me to my colleagues at the federal government and we can see what we can do," said Alghabra. 

"I assured him we will remain an effective partner with the City of Windsor."

On Wednesday, the minister said there was no formal ask made for financial support from the city, as officials were working to tally those costs.