Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNewsCanadaWorldHoekstra's comments on Gordie Howe bridge 'a punch in the face', says ex-Harper communications chiefCanada footing the bill for the bridge 'is the big myth that is out there,' Hoekstra said You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Former government communications director Andrew MacDougall called Hoekstra "The Ambassador for Gaslight to Canada" in a social media post. Photo by Tony Caldwell/PostmediaPete Hoekstra’s claim that Canada paying to construct the Gordie Howe International Bridge is a “big myth” has been branded “a punch in the face” by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s director of communications.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAndrew MacDougall, who held the role when the Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement was signed in June 2012, told National Post in an interview that the Trump administration “has shown time and time again that it will punch its friends in the face” in response to the U.S. Ambassador to Canada’s comments.Hoekstra made the remarks during a wide-ranging interview about Canada-U.S. trade on the July 2 edition of The Food Professor podcast. Canada footing the bill for the bridge “is the big myth that is out there,” he said. “I think it’s important that people realize this, okay? Because I hear it all the time. What does America have to do with this? We paid for the bridge. It’s our bridge. Just open it.”Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againWhile Hoekstra acknowledged that Canada loaned the bridge authority $7 billion for the construction, he said that as the bridge generates revenue, the cost will be paid back. “The bridge will actually be paid for by the folks who are using the bridge. It will not be paid for by the Canadian government. So, Canada put the money up front, but at the end of the day, the expectation is that there will be a ‘use tax’ that will pay for the bridge.”MacDougall responded to Hoekstra’s comments on social media, labelling the U.S. politician “The Ambassador for Gaslight to Canada.”Perrin Beatty, former president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, took a similar stance, writing on X: “Apparently, the US is being cheated because Canada paid to build the Gordie Howe Bridge. Here’s how Cleveland Health describes how to tell when you’re being gaslighted.”And Dimitri Soudas, who was also director of communications under Harper and left the job less than a year before the deal was signed, said in a post that he was “in the room” during negotiations, adding, “history doesn’t become fiction just because you say it on television.”I was in the room.Canada paid for the bridge.Respectfully, sir, history doesn’t become fiction just because you say it on television.Please stop. Sir. https://t.co/qGT9m4V2em— Dimitris Soudas 🇨🇦⚜️🇬🇷☦️ 13.12.1943 (@DimitrisSoudas) July 3, 2026Canada paid for the bridge over the Detroit River, and a deal was struck to allow Canada to collect the tolls until those costs are recouped, after which they would be split, with Michigan and Canada sharing ownership.“I certainly remember what we agreed to,” MacDougall told National Post. “We would fund the bridge construction, buy the land in Michigan needed, build the interstate on ramps, and that we would make the money back by tolls that were collected on the bridge — but only from the Canadian side, not the American side.”He added that Hoekstra, who was previously a congressman for Michigan, “ought to know not only the history of it, but why it was so important for Michiganders to get this done, because it was horrible going through Detroit and Windsor and bottling everything onto one bridge.”The Gordie Howe Bridge, with its six lanes and modern technology, promises to ease cross-border bottlenecks.Michigan and Canadian officials planned an opening ceremony for the $6.4 billion bridge last month, but abandoned the event at the last moment when U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly intervened. An opening ceremony for the Gordie Howe International Bridge had been arranged for June 2026. Photo by Jeff Kowalsky /BloombergIt came after Trump suggested that the U.S. should own half the project in February, pledging to block its opening “until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given” Canada.MacDougall says he’s not surprised by the actions of the Trump administration, in part because of the family that owns the existing Ambassador Bridge and has operated the structure connecting Detroit and Windsor since the 1970s.They have opposed the Gordie Howe Bridge for years, and in January, the billionaire head of the family, Matthew Moroun, made a million-dollar campaign donation to MAGA Inc., according to campaign finance reports.The Gordie Howe Bridge could be seen as a threat to Moroun’s bottom line, and MacDougall says his “monopoly” on the busy trade corridor was one of the reasons the deal was so difficult to navigate.MacDougall’s comments echo those of Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens, who told National Post in an interview that “there is absolutely no doubt that the interests of the private operator of the Ambassador Bridge are completely in play with respect to the opening of the Gordie Howe Bridge.” “Play the long game on this,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens asks of Mark Carney on delay by the Trump administration in allowing the Gordie Howe Bridge to open. Photo by Dan Janisse/Windsor Star/Postmedia/FileMeanwhile, the new bridge is serving as a flashpoint in the U.S. elections, with Republican Senatorial candidate Mike Rogers previously saying only he can get the bridge to open, while also claiming “it was not a great deal for (the U.S.)” and that “we’ll never see any revenue from that thing” in a question-and-answer session with the Detroit News.On the other end of the political spectrum, Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow released a campaign-style video telling Trump to “open the damn bridge.”Hoekstra claimed that both the U.S. and Canadian governments “look forward” to getting the bridge open, but they “recognized that there are some issues that are outstanding” that need to be “ironed out.”Mayor Dilkens, however, said he hopes Carney will “play the long game.”“If we have to wait a little longer for this bridge to open, we can do it. But don’t go on bent knee to the United States and accept a bad deal to get this bridge open. We will get through this. We will wait, and we will be patient.”Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our newsletters here. Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.