Ambassador Bridge owner looks for renewed relationship with Ottawa

The Moroun family wants to reset its relationship with the Canadian federal government, saying it's time for a "fresh approach to fix old problems."

Matthew Moroun, the vice chairman of the Ambassador Bridge Company, says it spent the last decade "fighting unproductively" with the Conservative government and Stephen Harper.

• Ambassador Bridge owner sues City of Windsor

"Our company and the Harper government spent the last decade fighting unproductively," Moroun wrote in an email the company shared with CBC News and other media outlets.

"We were both unnecessarily strident. Our company severely underestimated the importance Canada and its government placed on this broader point. The Harper government refused to open its eyes to the fact that actual traffic and toll revenues were only a fraction of the ridiculous projections required to pay back the taxpayers," he wrote.

Moroun is the son of Manuel (Matty) Moroun, the billionaire owner of the Ambassador Bridge crossing and more than 100 boarded up properties around Indian Road inWindsor's west end.

The company is currently involved in several civil lawsuits with homeowners in that neighbourhood and is suing the City of Windsor for any damages that are awarded in that case.

According to the email, the Ambassador Bridge Company wants to take advantage of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's attitude ofchange.

"This Windsor-Detroit border can be a shining example of efficiency and co-operation. I'm inspired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's desire to take a new look and a fresh approach to fix old problems," Moroun wrote. "This situation is just such a problem. I'm ready to do the same."