OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged Thursday that he “should have been clear” about Canada’s Gordie Howe Bridge agreement after the published text confirmed the United States will receive revenue before Canada’s construction debt is repaid.Carney faced questions during a joint news conference with provincial and territorial premiers in Charlottetown after the proposed agreement in principle was released earlier this week.A CTV News reporter asked Carney whether he had lied or downplayed his concessions to U.S. President Donald Trump when he previously said revenue sharing would occur only after the bridge debt was paid.Carney rejected that characterization but acknowledged his earlier explanation was incomplete.“Let’s be clear about what the deal is and isn’t with respect to the bridge,” Carney said. “The first thing is, this is a good deal.”Canada financed the $6.4-billion bridge project, including infrastructure on the American side, with the original understanding that it would recover its investment through toll revenue..Carney said the original 2012 Canada–Michigan Crossing Agreement remains unchanged and does not divide toll revenue until Canada’s contribution has been recovered.“Under that agreement, there is no splitting of tolls,” he said. “That’s what I was referring to, perhaps imperfectly.”Carney estimated it could take approximately 50 years before the revenue-sharing provisions contained in the original agreement take effect.However, a new parallel agreement with Washington requires Canada to make annual payments equal to 50% of net bridge and crossing-related revenue during the first 15 years of operations.The money will be placed in a United States–Canada Economic Development Fund established and solely controlled by the U.S. government.The published agreement defines net revenue as revenue collected from the bridge minus operating costs. It does not list repayment of Canada’s construction debt as a deduction.“Under that agreement, there is a sharing of net revenues after operating expenses, various other expenses, not including debt repayment,” Carney confirmed.“That’s — I should have been clear.”Carney argued the new arrangement does not technically alter the original Canada–Michigan agreement because it operates alongside it.He said payments to the U.S.-controlled fund would support regional economic development intended to increase traffic on the bridge.“The sharing of proceeds with the United States goes into economic development that would support traffic, ultimately, on the bridge,” he said. “So there’s an alignment of incentives.”Carney described the financial effect on Canada as “very marginal,” saying it would amount to less than 5% of the total cost of developing the bridge when calculated in present-value terms.“Could I have explained it better on a Sunday morning at Stampede, with a cowboy hat on? Yes,” Carney said.Ontario Premier Doug Ford then intervened to defend Carney and the agreement.“In my opinion, the prime minister did an excellent job getting this deal done,” Ford said.Ford said approximately $300 billion in goods moves annually through the Ontario–Michigan land corridor, while Ontario and Michigan conduct more than $70 billion in two-way trade.“It’s critical for the auto sector, it’s critical for auto-parts manufacturers and it’s critical for all manufacturers that this bridge gets open,” Ford said.“He did an incredible job, and I thank you for that.”Ford did not directly address the discrepancy between Carney’s earlier comments and the revenue-sharing provisions contained in the new agreement.The Gordie Howe International Bridge is scheduled to open to commercial and passenger traffic on Monday.
