Opposing the Detroit River International Crossing
The governments of Canada, the United States, Ontairo and Michigan have come to the illogical conclusion that declining cross-border traffic requires a $5billion expenditure of public funds that will have a devastating impact upon Ontario's sensitive Prairie ecosystem and 8 Species recognized as Threatened or Endangered under the Species at Risk Act. Sierra Club Ontario is challenging the flawed Environmental Assessments conducted and approved by the Federal and Provincial governments on the grounds that a need for the project was not established and that the mitigation strategies to minimize the impact to the Species at Risk are scientifically inaccurate.
Wither Ontario’s Endangered Species?
Submitted by Guest on Fri, 2012-01-13 14:08Wither Ontario’s Endangered Species?
By Paula Boutis online via the Iler Campbell blogs
On January 10, 2011, the Environmental Commissioner’s released his special report “Biodiversity: A Nation’s Commitment, an Obligation for Ontario.” The Commissioner’s Press release is aptly titled “Ontario Government Missing in Action to Halt the Loss of Biodiversity.”... Read more »
Michigan Senate Committee Kills New Border Crossing
Submitted by Andrew Holownych on Mon, 2011-10-24 10:23
The fate of a proposed new bridge connecting Windsor with Detroit that Ottawa has called the country's "number one national infrastructure priority" is uncertain after a Michigan Senate committee voted down the proposal Thursday.... Read more »
DRIC endangers Species Act: Sierra Club Uproar over permit to build $1.4B parkway
Submitted by Andrew Holownych on Wed, 2011-08-31 10:15The article below appeared in the Windsor Star on Aug. 31.
Permit approvals and start of construction on the $1.4-billion Windsor-Essex Parkway is proof the Ontario government has the power to trump its own Endangered Species Act, said the director of Ontario's Sierra Club.
"This demonstrates when the government of Ontario has a vested interest in a project, the Endangered Species Act isn't worth the paper it's printed on," said Dan McDermott.... Read more »
Globe and Mail article: Bridge Proposal divides U.S, Canada
Submitted by Andrew Holownych on Wed, 2011-08-03 11:15
The article below was written in the Globe and Mail on July 17th. The article seems to give balanced arguments both for and against the building of the bridge. However, key arguments opposing the building of the bridge are not mentioned.
One of the opponenet of the bridge, the owners of the Ambassador bridge, have been accused of spreading a 'misinformation campaign'. However, they raise the valid concern that 'annual traffic on the Ambassador bridge is down more than 40% in the past decade' - a point which is not highlighted as significant in the article. Other factors such as 9/11, increased border security, the passport requirement coupled with the ongoing recession as just some of the reasons for the continuing decline in cross-border traffic that began in 1999. This continued decline shows no sign of reversing in the near future.... Read more »
Best Way to Protect the Snakes is to NOT Build DRIC
Submitted by Kristina Jackson on Mon, 2011-05-02 12:18From Daily Commercial News & Construction Data (Markham, ON) published April 25, 2011
Windsor, Ontario parkway fence serves as endangered species protection
WINDSOR
Thirteen kilometres of black geotextile fencing has been almost fully installed along the corridor of the Windsor-Essex Parkway, the planned extension of Hwy 401 linking to a new bridge between Windsor and Detroit.
The entire project is known as the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC).... Read more »
SIERRA CLUB DISPUTES NEED FOR DRIC
Detroit River International Crossing unneeded and environmentally destructive
For Immediate Release: January 26, 2011
SIERRA CLUB DISPUTES NEED FOR DRIC
Sierra Club Ontario today released an Econometric Research Limited (ERL) study that presents and evaluates the projections relied upon to justify the construction of Detroit River International Crossing, referred to as the DRIC. The DRIC project is a proposal to build a new vehicular bridge connecting the cities of Windsor and Detroit, despite this area already being serviced by the existing Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, Ambassador Bridge and Windsor Ferry. The cost of DRIC is expected to exceed $5 Billion and the Federal government has recently promised $550 Million to the Michigan government to cover a portion of Michigan’s cost of constructing the DRIC. The Government of Ontario has also committed $1.6 billion to construct the Windsor-Essex Parkway (WEP) as the Ontario connection to DRIC.... Read more »
Sierra Club Opposes Windsor - Detroit Bridge
January 19, 2011
WINDSOR-DETROIT BRIDGE – EXPENSIVE, ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE, UNNEEDED AND WITHOUT A U.S. PARTNER
Sierra Club Ontario will hold a 10 AM January 26th news conference at the Queen’s Park Media Studio to release an Econometric Research Limited study that concludes that there is no need for a new Windsor-Detroit bridge. Econometric Research determined that projections for increased cross-border traffic are erroneous, defy common sense and are in deep denial of the fact that cross-border traffic has been down since 1999, two years before 9/11. Dr. Atif Kubursi, Professor of Economics, McMaster University and President of Econometric Research will present the document at the Jan. 26 conference.... Read more »
Economics show -- demand does not support new DRIC bridge
2011-01-19
Sierra Club Ontario released an Econometric Research Limited study that concludes that there is no need for a new Windsor-Detroit bridge. Econometric Research determined that projections for increased cross-border traffic are erroneous, defy common sense are in deep denial of the fact that cross-border traffic has been down since 1999, two years before 9/11.
Click title above to go to attachments page & download the Econometric's report.
There is no need for DRIC (letter to editor in The Windsor Star)
Submitted by Dan McDermott on Thu, 2011-01-06 14:06© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
By Dan McDermott December 28, 2010
Re: Millions spent on snake housing, opinion column, by Chris Vander Doelen, Dec. 21.
Chris Vander Doelen is concerned about the public money that the McGuinty government plans to spend to attempt to mitigate the damage that the Windsor-Essex Parkway would cause to at least eight species at risk.... Read more »
