U.S. bridge company advertisement asks Trump to reject Canadian-funded span

The U.S.-owned company behind a Windsor-Detroit bridge crossing is stepping up itsfight to prevent a Canadian-funded second spanfrom being built. And they're doing it by appealing to U.S. President Donald Trump with a TV commercial.

The owners of the Ambassador Bridge theDetroit International Bridge Company (DIBC) say theconstruction of the Canadian-funded Gordie Howe International Bridge will take jobs and trade from the U.S.

The Moroun family, who owns and operates the DIBC, previously appealed the Gordie Howe bridge in court, and failed. DIBCpresident Dan Stamper has also questioned whythe "Buy American" policy doesn't apply to steel purchases for the Gordie Howe, which seemsto have gone ignored considering that policy was waived for the Canadian infrastructure project.

Now, the DIBC is using patriotism to try and stop the project.

Patriotism play

Over a piano rendition of America the Beautiful, thecommercial asks Trumpto revoke the2013 Obama-era "Buy America" waiver, which allows Canada to build a new international span to Detroit.

"There are two grand, new bridges being proposed between America and Canada. One is American-made, American-owned.It uses American-made steel 5,000 American workers," the narrator says. "The other would be Canadian-made, Canadian-owned, Canadian workers. Who knows who would make the steel?"

Watch the U.S.DWIB'sad appealing to Trump here:

Commercial asks Trump to kill Canadian bridge project

6 years ago

Duration 1:00

Ad was paid for by the Detroit International Bridge Company.

The ad continues, showing a picture of former President Barack Obama frowning with the subtext "Obama sided with Canada." It concludes by asking Trump to review the permit, revoke it, and "let the grand new span be American."

'Multiple inaccuracies'

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), which oversees the Canadian bridge project,takes great exception to the advertisement, saying the Gordie Howe Bridge is beneficial to both countries.

"There's a number of misrepresentations and inaccuracies in the video . To suggest that only Canadians will be working on the project isa complete misrepresentation," said WDBAspokesperson Mark Butler.

"U.S. Border Services will be hiring Americans. CBSA will be hiring Canadians."

In March, the WDBA announced Parsons Inc. had been selected for the role of "owner's engineer" a role which requires the company to act as aliaison between the bridge companyand whatever firm is selected to actually build the Gordie Howe.

Butler said the WDBAhave received threeproposals from teams consisting of both Canadian and American companies.

"Unlike other projects which are just based in one country, this is a binational project," he said, adding workers from both countries are imperative for the bridge's construction.

The bridge will be built through a Buy America waiver, meaning any steel or iron component of the U.S. portion of the project can be sourced in either Canada or the United States.

"What [the waiver] is also saying isit won't be offshore steel it won't be Chinese steel."

Butler said the WDBAwill be announcingprivate sector partners for the Gordie Howe bridge construction in the coming weeks.

"We have all of the permits and approvals in place to begin construction of the bridge. We've already committed to $350 million of construction activities on both sides of the border already. And we are committed to starting the actual construction of the bridge in 2018."

Potential Trump response

Stamper saidthe plea was necessary because of Canada's "anti-competitive" demands to tear down the current bridge.

"We are appealing to the administration directly because the administration has the ability in the presidential permitting process to side with an American company," Stamper said in a statement to CBC News.

"TheAmbassador Bridge's second span will create thousands of good paying American jobs using American steel."

West Windsor advocate, lawyer and school board trustee Fabio Costanteisconcerned Trump may acton the ad in line with his administration's "America First" platform.

"It is a bit worrisome that things like this have legs. He tends to play to this type of frustration it goes to show how untrustworthy the bridge company is to try to get their way," Costantesaid.

"There's a bit of fear-mongering that there's going to be no American jobs, even though that's been touted several times from the governor of Michigan and others."

He said the ad taps into a "very cynical side of politics" and finds it unfortunate that Moroun's company is resorting to thesemeasures to derail the Gordie Howe project.

"To go reach out directly to the president and play it from the lens of American-made steel and American-made jobs is misleading."