By Pepper Parr
April 28, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
UPDATE:
Got the following note from Transport Canada:
“Just wanted to note that this article is inaccurate. The lift bridge is a Public Works asset, not Transport Canada. It is not being divested and is not part of the Port Asset Transfer Program.”
The Gazette will seek some clarification and report back/
Governments have a nasty little habit of releasing news late on a Friday afternoon. It is seldom good news – that stuff gets sent out when newsroom are wide awake and operational.
What was the bad news? The Hamilton-Burlington Lift Bridge is up for sale – Hamilton and Burlington have first dibs on the property but if they don’t buy it – then someone else can buy the structure.
In a 5:31pm Friday news release, the Harper government announced a new program called the “Ports Asset Transfer Program” which will sell Transport Canada-owned port facilities to the private sector if provinces or municipalities don’t agree to take responsibility for facilities the federal government no longer wishes to maintain.
For this part of the world that means what is officially called the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge is going to get sold. Lisa Raitt’s, Minister of Transport, news release backgrounder states municipalities will have a 60-day period this summer to decide to purchase the Lift Bridge from the federal government.
If Hamilton and Burlington decide to not purchase the bridge (or the province for them), Transport Canada will offer the bridge for sale to the Hamilton Port Authority and the private sector.
Earlier in the month the Burlington and Hamilton Council’s joint Greater Bay Area Committee met. One of the agenda items was the Lift Bridge negotiations.
Hamilton City Manager Chris Murray said communication was ongoing with the Federal government, and that both City Managers were awaiting additional financial information from the federal government before providing recommendations to the respective City Councils.
Murray made no statement about potential privatization or a forthcoming ultimatum. He did state that he expected to have more information from the Federal government shortly and that a report would be forthcoming to Council.
Burlington’s city manager, James Ridge hasn’t said a word publicly.
Mike Wallace, Burlington’s member of Parliament has yet to make a comment.
Expect this issue to quickly be added to the both Burlington and Hamilton City Council meetings. Burlington has the delightful pleasure of working with the federal Transportation department on both an air park and now a canal bridge.
Is anyone thinking about a toll bridge? Governments are looking for new sources of revenue.
Were indebted to Joey Coleman and The Public Record for background on this article.
Our Conservative MP – Mike Wallace is very very very silent on this.
I believe Mr. Wallace’s reply in the matter would be:
“Cackle …. Cackle …. Cackle”
Apparently, everything that can be sold, is for sale, that’s the mantra of government of all stripes. Why not sell 24 Sussex Dr to it’s current inhabitants or the highest bidder?
So the lift bridge could possibly be owned by the private sector. That’s interesting, good news really, and probably the best way to go. The private sector has proven time and time again that they know how to make the economy run right; much better than any level of government. If that purchase happens, then it’s obvious that toll charges would be applied. If you’re thinking that motorists would be charged a toll to use the bridge, then you would be wrong. No private company would purchase a bridge and expect to recoup their investment with tolls applied to vehicles, especially when the Skyway bridge is a few feet away, faster to use, and FREE. Tolls would be applied only to ships and possibly small privately owned marine craft. Transponders and other electronic devices can be used to administer the charges for lifting and lowering the bridge. Or, the company that purchases the bridge can work with the Hamilton Port Authority to administer the tolls on their behalf, for a fee, of course. The taxpayer would be 100% off the hook for the purchase of the bridge and for maintenance costs applied to the bridge and any other expenses that would normally occur.
I say, sell it to the private sector; the sooner the better. The taxpayer would win this round. Unfortunately, taxpayers don’t win enough times when it comes to dealing with our governments. Let’s not let this great opportunity pass us by.
The City of Hamilton and the City of Burlington shouldn’t even consider wasting our taxes on a potential purchase like this. Please let your City Councillors know that this is something that they should not touch with a ten foot pole. It would be a disaster in the making, just another costly error made by our politicians if they were to proceed; all at our expense.
Congratulations to the Harper Government. They realize that more privatization means more tax savings for us. Now, if the Provincial or Municipal Governments jump in and decide to buy the bridge, that’s not the Federal Government’s problem; but it would be another problem for the average citizen.
Privatize, Privatize, Privatize.
Yes Frank, the private sector can often do a better job at things than the government, but this lift bridge is not just some cash cow serving important ship traffic to/from Hamilton Harbour. It also happens to be the emergency route when the Burlington Skyway is down in either direction. Putting that responsibility into private hands in no way reflects a public good.
I too hope Burlington and Hamilton do not buy this bridge. I hope and expect they push back hard on the feds. This could be an issue that tips people away from the Conservatives locally in the coming election. Are they prepared to gamble Burlington and Halton seats over this?
The dark side of Stephen Harper’s offload/download strategic asset policy once again shows its face.
Really quite disgraceful.
This is a Federal responsibility per the Navigation Act.
$5+Billion worth of cargo passed under the bridge last year bringing a huge multiplier effect to the area community in revenue and jobs. The Fed gets first crack at the taxes from that multiplier effect. Maintaining the bridge is chicken feed when compared to the wealth & taxes that passes under it, and over it.
The Fed should rethink this attempted abdication of its responsibility.