Update, 3:40 p.m. Thursday: With city council approval, the city of Windsor went to Ontario Superior Court Thursday seeking an injunction to put an end to the blockade on the Ambassador Bridge by giving police more power to do so, The Windsor Star reports.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens was “confident” the courts would address the matter by Friday morning. “Ultimately it will be a document that puts police in a better position for enforcement required,” he's quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Matt Mouron, chairman of the Detroit International Bridge Company, which operates the bridge, issued a statement Thursday:
"On behalf of all those whose jobs and livelihoods depend on the goods that cross this bridge, I ask the Canadian government to take action and end the blockade. There are three options I see that will end this quickly:
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End the protest by repealing the mandate and recognizing that while the vast majority of truck drivers are vaccinated, there are some who for many reasons are choosing not to get vaccinated but deserve to be respected and allowed to do their jobs and serve our countries with dignity.
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Remove the vehicles blocking the Ambassador Bridge so commerce and trade can resume.
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Do nothing and hope this ends on its own: an option that will most likely prolong the blockade, further crippling our economy and putting more jobs at risk.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also issued a statement:
“It is imperative that Canadian local, provincial, and national governments de-escalate this economic blockade. They must take all necessary and appropriate steps to immediately and safely reopen traffic so we can continue growing our economy, supporting good-paying jobs, and lowering costs for families.”
► Update: On Friday morning, the governor said on CNN: "We are at an economic crisis ... because of this illegal blockade."
► Related: 2 Detroit-Area Republicans Can't Resist Partisan Reaction to Ambassador Bridge Shutdown
Original article Thursday morning:
In an interview with a Canadian radio station, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said the Ambassador Bridge "really isn't open" and vowed: "This will not last for long, that I can assure you." He also said some truckers blockading the bridge in protest, ostensibly over vaccine mandates, are "mentally unstable."
A truck crosses the Ambassador Bridge Tuesday, the first full day of a trucker-led protest. (Photo: Michael Lucido)
"This is getting really tiring. Those folks need to go home. This will not last for long, that I can assure you," he said during an interview on AM800 CKLW, a Windsor-based radio station.
However, the mayor argued that any response by police or any other municipality would need to be measured. He couldn't just have all of them removed at once, Dilkens said.
"The problem is, I don't want to see us flush out 200 protesters today and have 300 tomorrow," he said.
He also said that many of the protesters were "mentally unstable" and dealing with people's temperament is a "real issue."
Although the bridge is open for travel to the U.S., protesters make access difficult, Windsor police said, adding that drivers should expect significant delays. The tunnel remains open, though large trucks can't use it. The Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron is also open, but four-hour delays throttle traffic there, too.
The shutdown affects others, particularly at automotive plants that rely on just-in-time deliveries from suppliers on both sides of the border.
General Motors on Thursday canceled two shifts at an assembly plant in Delta Township near Lansing because of a parts shortage stemming from the disruption on the bridge. GM earlier called off Wednesday evening's shift at the same factory, which makes Chevrolet and Buick sport-utility vehicles.
GM said chartered cargo planes will fly parts over the Detroit River from Ontario.
Ford's Windsor engine plant reopened Thursday at reduced capacity after shutting Wednesday because of a lack of parts, the automaker says, adding in a release: "This situation ... could have widespread impact on all automakers in the U.S. and Canada." Its assembly plant near Toronto in Oakville, Ont., also scales back production.
Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler) says it's forced it to shorten shifts at several plants. Toyota says it can't build anything at three Canadian plants for the rest of the week because of parts shortages.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urges Canadian authorities to quickly resolve the standoff at the bridge. "It's hitting paychecks and production lines. That is unacceptable," she said in a statement Thursday.
"The grassroots nature of the Freedom Convoy's illegal blockade can make it difficult for authorities to negotiate a resolution," Mayor Dilkens told The Detroit News, "as demands broaden from removing [vaccine] mandates on truckers to removing mandates in general and other protocols such as testing, quarantines and masks that may be governed by local municipalities."
