The City of Windsor is suing the federal government for the costs it incurred in connection with the so-called Freedom Convoy at the Ambassador Bridge in early 2022. The lawsuit, filed Nov. 4, alleges that Ottawa promised to cover the city’s entire costs related to the truck convoy, which closed Canada’s busiest trade corridor with the United States for six days.
The city is alleged to have relied on the funding commitment in its budget process. Ottawa has refused to release more than $900,000 of the cost.
The city also alleges that the federal government’s decision not to release a portion of the money was arbitrary and that local taxpayers had to pay for it.
The lawsuit also seeks compensation for Windsor’s ongoing international border security costs. It also seeks a formal declaration of federal liability for policing and secure border crossings. However, none of these allegations have been proven in court.
A spokesperson for the federal justice department said they are aware of the legal action and will review their statement of claim to determine their next course of action.
In the lawsuit, the city said it had incurred significant costs in policing, emergency services, transit, communications and legal services to manage and remove the protests. In December 2022, about 10 months into the blockade, the city shared details of its potential costs with the federal government. At the time, the total cost was $6.865 million.
Shortly after, the federal government agreed to reimburse Windsor for its costs. Public Safety Canada issued a press release stating that it had provided $69 million in federal funding for 2022-2023.
The city submitted updated cost information for 2023, which showed costs of $6.995 million.
