Ambassador Bridge Blockade Cost Windsor Almost $5.7M & The City's Asking For Money Back
Mayor Drew Dilkens wrote a letter to the provincial and federal government asking for a reimbursement.
Windsor's Mayor Drew Dilkens is asking the feds and the provincial government to reimburse the city for about $5.7 million that was spent following the Ambassador Bridge blockades in February.
"As you are aware, the City of Windsor was the site of an illegal occupation at the foot of the Ambassador Bridge, disrupting trade and commerce for the United States and Canada, which began in the evening of February 7, 2022," Mayor Dilkens began in the letter that he recently penned to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Ontario's Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy.
After the court-ordered injunction passed, it took Windsor Police, Ontario Provincial Police, and the RCMP about a week to fully clear the bridge and allow for traffic to pass through on the border crossing bridge again.
But, Dilkens noted that the aftermath of the blockades has persisted through to March, with limited commercial traffic until March 13 and the ongoing heightened security presence along Huron Church Road.
"To that end, the City of Windsor is requesting reimbursement of approximately $5.7-million towards these unforeseen costs. It would be unreasonable to expect municipal taxpayers to shoulder these costs alone," Dilkens wrote.
The City estimated that the total costs for the 2022 Ambassador Bridge convoy protest cost $5,110,000 in policing services alone with about half of that for overtime pay to officers. Over a million was used for meals and accommodations for police, too.
"OPP and RCMP support was critical towards clearing the occupation in a peaceful and safe way and commitment that your governments displayed at the time helped bolster all those, myself included, who were dealing with the emergency situation unfolding in our community," Dilkens wrote.
"I am asking you to reaffirm that commitment with the appropriate financial support the City of Windsor requires to cover the costs associated with clearing the illegal occupation."
The rest of the total costs cover legal fees, EMS, Fire and Rescue Services, community support, and more. Here's the total breakdown for how the $5,665,000 Windsor spent to clear out the trucker blockades:
- Windsor Police Services - $5,110,000
- PW Operations - $108,000
- Transit Windsor - $40,000
- EMS - Land Ambulance - $37,000
- Fire & Rescue Services - $25,000
- Legal Fees - $250,000
- Parks & Facilities - $15,000
- Community Support - $80,000