“The prime minister is on the phone for you.”
I looked up at the person who ran my work life, acted as gatekeeper and basically was my drill sergeant, Wendy Wisniewski, and said, “Where is the Governor?”
Now in 50 years of doing political work for all kinds of clients, governors, U.S. senators, members of Congress, ambassadors, and the like (heck, one time I even had lunch with Rupert Murdoch and drinks with George Peppard), I have never had a prime minister of a country call me.
And this was no everyday prime minister. This was the leader of our country’s closest ally and friend, Canada.
Wendy looked at me like I was crazy and said, “No, he wants to talk with you.”
I looked at her like she’d lost it and said, “I’m sure you mean he wants to talk to the Gov, not me.”
Again, with the “Are you really that clueless” look that Wendy had developed to perfection, she said emphatically, “No. You. Don’t keep him waiting.”
So, I rolled my eyes and thought back to the last time I had the pleasure of talking with Stephen Harper, the prime minister of Canada for nearly 10 years. It had been just a few months earlier when my boss, Gov. Rick Snyder, and I had ventured to Windsor, Ontario, and met for a box lunch with Mr. Harper and his Chief of Staff Ray Novak, before the formal announcement of a momentous deal to build a super-international bridge between the United States and Canada at a narrow point between Windsor and Detroit.
To refresh readers, for many years, 93 to be exact, there have been two crossings between Detroit and Windsor. One is an iconic tunnel that my contractor father considered to be one of the great marvels of construction in the world. Dedicated in 1930 by President Herbert Hoover and jointly owned by the cities of Windsor and Detroit, it is the only auto tunnel under water connecting two countries.
The other crossing is a bridge spanning the Detroit River between these two great countries. The Ambassador Bridge is a tolled suspension bridge across the Detroit River that connects Detroit and Windsor.
According to the Ambassador Bridge website, a local financier named Joseph Bower really gave the Ambassador project its foundation, purchasing options of the stock of the Canadian and American Transit companies. Bower set the wheels in motion and obtained the approvals needed for the bridge.
Perhaps previewing controversies to come, then-Detroit Mayor John W. Smith vetoed the project, but Detroit City Council overrode his veto. The mayor went into what would be one of the first of many court battles over bridges. Much as in the recent legal disputes, the bridge issue became a public fight.
On June 28, 1927, the new Ambassador Bridge passed in a special election overwhelmingly, one of the first of many ballot proposals.
The general contract for construction was signed in July 1927 with construction completed in November 1929. The Ambassador Bridge opened for traffic four days later.
The Bower family maintained control of the Ambassador Bridge until 1979. Then, in 1979, following the death of Joseph Bower, the Central Cartage Company of Detroit purchased the Ambassador Bridge. Central Cartage is owned and operated by the Detroit International Bridge Company and held by a Detroit family under the leadership of Manuel J. “Matty” Moroun and his wife Nora. In 2018 they passed the torch to their highly regarded son, Matthew.
Up until 2015 and perhaps longer, a new International Bridge owned by the public was in question.
That history aside, Prime Minister (PM) Harper and his team, Minister of Transport John Baird (2008-10), Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and the newly minted brilliant Consul-General for Canada in Detroit, Roy Norton, pursued the project doggedly. Baird went to Lansing in May 2010 and announced that Canada would be willing to finance the full cost of the bridge, removing the need for Michigan to find dollars to fund it. That broke an existing deadlock and made progress possible after nine years of fruitless back and forth. Baird then succeeded Cannon as foreign minister in May 2011, ensuring continuity on the project.
Gov. Snyder saw the opportunity to break a logjam and achieve something big for Michigan. His announcement of the new bridge in his annual State of the State speech in January 2011 stunned the body politic and set in motion everything that led, ultimately, to the June 2012 signing of the bridge contract with PM Harper and the subsequent success on the November 2012 ballot question on whether the bridge should be approved.
So, with Wendy staring at me like I was about to be skewered, I picked up the phone and as confidently as possible said: “Mr. prime minister, how are you today?”
“Just a minute Dennis,” was Ray Novak’s response.
So much for my bravado.
The rest of the conversation went something like this, although obviously I am paraphrasing from memory. One of Harper’s real strengths was a matter of fact, straightforward demeanor that accompanied the manner of someone who had led a great country for eight years.
“Dennis, this is Stephen Harper. How are you?”
“Great sir, what can I do to assist you today.” (My standard phrase when talking to prime ministers … oh, I forgot, I didn’t do that very often.)
“I’ve got an idea I’d like you to get Governor Snyder’s reaction to regarding the bridge and its name going forward. I’d like to suggest we name it after Gordie Howe.”
I was stunned. I had envisioned multiple boring meetings with a star-studded cast of characters from both sides of the border endlessly tossing fuzzy names with little pizazz up for discussion. Such jewels as “Bridge over Calm Waters,” “Maple Leaf/Bald Eagle Bridge,” “The Big Stretch” and some other less flattering names that recognized the continuing and difficult discussions with the Maroun family, which had vehemently opposed the building of the new bridge.
So, I thanked the PM and Ray and, after the requisite complimentary closings, I hung up and looked at Wendy, still standing at the door. I told her, “You won’t believe that call, he wants to name the bridge after Gordie Howe. Simply said he couldn’t think of a better ambassador to the United States and Canada than the Canadian native and adopted Detroit son.” And I added: “Snyder will never go for it.”
By then the governor had returned to the office, and I got up and walked into his office.
“You’re not going to believe this. The prime minister called while you were out and wanted me to get your reaction to naming the International Bridge after Gordie Howe.”
Now, I’ve been surprised by Rick Snyder several times and I thought he’d give me that “Dennis, you’ve lost it again” look. Imagine when he simply said, “That’s a great idea, I’m totally with him. No one will argue against Gordie Howe.”
No more was said. I called Ray Novak and told him the governor thought it was a great idea.
Two days later the press announcement came out.
I do not want to minimize the years of debate and discussion between Michigan and our great neighbor to successfully get the bridge built. Of course, there were many sticking points, such as funding requirements, state participation and border security. Snyder often sought the advice and counsel of numerous staff, including Michigan Transportation Director Kirk Steudle, Transport Canada’s Chuck Strahl, and later Lisa Raitt and luminaries such as former Gov. James J. Blanchard, who also served as U.S. Ambassador to Canada.
In the end, though, we were able to finalize a tremendous economic and social achievement through sheer hard work, cooperation, and focusing on a common goal that was highly beneficial to both of us.