Quebec Bridge deal has New Brunswick senator crying double standard

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OTTAWA — A New Brunswick senator says he’s frustrated by the federal government’s decision to spend $1 billion on the Quebec Bridge while using much of the same argument that New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have in lobbying for help to safeguard the vulnerable strip of land connecting their two provinces.

It has Jim Quinn questioning “the equality in our federation,” while suggesting it comes down to politics where there’s more votes in Quebec than near the Chignecto Isthmus or in Atlantic Canada.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Quebec City last week that Ottawa will spend $1 billion over the next 25 years to repair, repaint and maintain the Quebec Bridge, connecting Quebec City with its south shore.

The deal sees Ottawa spend $40 million a year for 25 years, equating to 60 per cent of the total maintenance cost, with Quebec paying another 25 per cent, and CN Rail the remaining 15 per cent.

In doing so, the feds assumed ownership of the bridge.

That’s as Ottawa has remained steadfast in its assertion that it will only pay 50 per cent of the $650-million price tag to safeguard the Chignecto Isthmus, while disputing jurisdictional responsibility.

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia would be alone in paying the other half.

“My initial thought was surprise. I was taken aback that the government decided they would do something like this at this particular time,” Quinn said.

The senator is fighting to pass a bill in the upper chamber to bring the vital Chignecto Isthmus corridor under federal jurisdiction, declaring the dyke network to be “for the general advantage of Canada.”

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“I’m getting a little frustrated because we always have to fight harder and bring in more rationale than otherwise would be required, and yet last week there’s a decision that’s made that they’re going to advance $1 billion in Quebec,” Quinn said.

“The other reason it bothered me is the rationale they used to pay for the Quebec Bridge, that it’s a critical transportation link, economic factors, historical significance.

“I gotta tell ya, let’s sit down and talk about the Chignecto Isthmus. It’s all of that and more.”

In a statement justifying $1 billion for the Quebec Bridge, the prime minister’s office said that it “remains a critical regional transportation link, a strategic freight corridor, and an important element of the Canadian supply chain, allowing passengers and goods to move freely across the St. Lawrence River and to other destinations in Canada and North America.”

The feds say 33,000 vehicles, “including cars, transit buses, passenger trains, and freight trains,” cross the bridge daily.

During the summer months, it is also enjoyed by “1,000 pedestrians and cyclists every day.”

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Meanwhile, the Trans-Canada Highway and CN Rail line that traverses the Chignecto Isthmus carries an estimated $35 billion per year in goods and services.

If the Isthmus goes under water, goods landing at the Port of Halifax would be cut off from the rest of the country. The other way, it would impact shipments headed to Newfoundland by ferry after travelling from central Canada through New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia.

It would cut off New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island from key regional services like the Halifax children’s hospital.

In addition, the Isthmus supports major power transmission and telecommunication lines connecting the region.

The feds also state that the Quebec Bridge is one of Canada’s “architectural gems, recognized as a symbol of engineering excellence and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1995.”

The network of dykes to protect the Chignecto Isthmus was installed by Acadian settlers in the 1600s.

Much of it is designated a protected area.

“It just seems that the equality in our federation seems to be in the eye of the beholder and we’re treated differently,” Quinn said. “That’s the old story of our region, we are often not as important on the national scene.

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“Let’s be blunt. What is there in that area? Two (federal House of Commons) seats? Three seats? There’s 32 seats in all of Atlantic Canada. I don’t know what they have in Quebec City, but probably 20.”

He added: “It’s very frustrating to see that and how we’re treated with the lack of quality one would expect in Canada.”

There is unanimous bipartisan support in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to see the feds take ownership of the vulnerable strip of land connecting the two provinces.

Both provincial legislatures recently passed motions backing Quinn’s bill with all politicians of all political stripes on side.

Immediately after the Quebec train bridge announcement, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also called on Ottawa to apply consistent criteria in the funding of important transportation links.

“I’m interested in the criteria that they (Ottawa) use to make these decisions, and if they have different criteria for different regions of the country then they should just say that,” Houston said.

“If they have the same criteria for every region of the country then the Chignecto Isthmus is a slam dunk and I look forward to hearing from the federal government.”

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In a New Brunswick visit recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged the importance of the Isthmus to Canada, but stopped short of saying his government would be willing to pay more than already promised.

“It’s a key corridor for trade, for people, connecting the country,” Trudeau said. “These are things that we will always step up for.

“We recognize the challenges of the increased impact of climate change and we have programs to step up and work with provinces on projects of significance like this.”

In a statement to Brunswick News, federal Infrastructure Minister and Nova Scotia MP Sean Fraser also didn’t directly answer why the Quebec Bridge was able to secure more than 50 per cent funding, while the Isthmus hasn’t.

Instead, he reiterated the 50 per cent funding available within the Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund.

“The Chignecto Isthmus is the reason our province isn’t called the Island of Nova Scotia,” Fraser said. “We must protect it from the increasing threat of extreme weather events and flooding.”

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