View source for Archive:Blue Water Bridge Authority

{{Afd-merge to|Federal Bridge Corporation|discussion=Blue Water Bridge Authority|date=27 October 2026}}
{{Infobox company
| name                = Blue Water Bridge Authority
| logo                = Blue Water Bridge Canada logo.png
| logo_size           =
| logo_alt            = Blue Water Bridge Canada
| logo_caption        = 
| logo_padding        = 
| image               = 
| image_size          = 
| image_alt           = 
| image_caption       = 
| trade_name          = 
| native_name         = 
| native_name_lang    = 
| romanized_name      = 
| former_name         = 
| type                = [[Crown corporations of Canada|Crown corporation]]
| traded_as           = 
| ISIN                = 
| industry            = Transportation
| fate                = 
| predecessor         = 
| successor           = [[Federal Bridge Corporation|Federal Bridge Corporation Limited]]
| founded             = {{Start date|1964|05|21}}
| founder             = [[Monarchy of Canada|Sovereign of Canada]]
| defunct             = {{End date|2015|02|01}}
| hq_location         = 
| hq_location_city    = [[Point Edward, Ontario]]
| hq_location_country = Canada
| num_locations       = 
| num_locations_year  = 
| area_served         = [[Point Edward, Ontario|Point Edward]], [[Ontario]]
| key_people          = {{Unbulleted list|Marcel Beaubien ([[Chairman]])|Chuck Chrapko ([[Chief executive office|CEO]])|John Elliott (COO)}}
| products            = 
| brands              = 
| services            = {{Unbulleted list|Currency Exchange|Commercial Brokers}}
| revenue             = {{Unbulleted list|{{increase}} [[Canadian dollar|CAD$]]21.32 million (2010)|CAD$21.26 million (2009)}}
| revenue_year        = 
| operating_income    = 
| income_year         = 
| net_income          = {{Unbulleted list|{{increase}} CAD$2.47 million (2010)|CAD$2.15 million (2009)}}
| net_income_year     = 
| assets              = {{Unbulleted list|{{increase}}CAD$194 million (2010)|CAD$192 million (2009)}}
| assets_year         = 
| equity              = 
| equity_year         = 
| owner               = [[Government of Canada]]
| num_members         = 
| num_members_year    = 
| num_employees       = {{Unbulleted list|68 (2010)| 75 (2009)}}
| num_employees_year  = 
| parent              = 
| divisions           = {{Unbulleted list|Accounting|Administration|Currency Exchange|IT|Janitorial|Maintenance|Project Management|Tolls}}
| subsidiaries        = 
| module              = 
| website             = {{URL|http://bluewaterbridge.ca/}}
| footnotes           = <ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" /><ref name="corp-plan-2011-2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.bluewaterbridge.ca/docs/pdf/CorpPlanSummary2011-2015.pdf |title=2010-2011 to 2014-2015 Corporate Plan Summary |publisher=Blue Water Bridge Canada |format=PDF |access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref> 
}}

The '''Blue Water Bridge Authority''' was a Canadian [[Crown corporations of Canada|Crown corporation]] responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Canadian side of the [[Blue Water Bridge]] in [[Point Edward, Ontario]].  It was established on May 21, 1964 via the ''Blue Water Bridge Authority Act (Canada)'', which authorized it to provide highway traffic between Canada and the [[United States]] over the Blue Water Bridge.  It was granted exclusive rights to levy tolls on westbound traffic from Canada to the United States in order to offset the costs of operation, maintenance, and construction.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016">{{cite web |url=http://www.bluewaterbridge.ca/docs/pdf/CorpPlanSummary2012-2016.pdf |format=PDF |title=2011-2012 to 2015-2016 Corporate Plan Summary |publisher=Blue Water Bridge Canada |access-date=14 November 2016 |archive-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113114716/http://www.bluewaterbridge.ca/docs/pdf/CorpPlanSummary2012-2016.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|8}}

On April 26, 2002, the Authority became a Schedule III, Part I parent [[Crown corporations of Canada|Crown corporation]].  It was not required to pay taxes and not eligible to receive appropriations.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|9}}  In September 2007, in accordance with [[Federal Identity Program]] requirements, the organization was officially titled '''Blue Water Bridge Canada'''.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|29}}

On February 1, 2015, via House Government Bill C-4 Section 8 (assented to on December 12, 2013), the Blue Water Bridge Authority was amalgamated with St. Mary's River Bridge Company and Federal Bridge Corporation Limited to form a new corporate entity, [[Federal Bridge Corporation|Federal Bridge Corporation Limited]], which currently owns and maintains the Canadian side of the Blue Water Bridge along with three other international bridges in Canada.<ref name="corp-amalg">{{cite web |url=https://www.federalbridge.ca/corporate-amalgamation/ |title=Corporate Amalgamation |last=Girard |first=André |publisher=[[Federal Bridge Corporation]] |access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref><ref name="bill-c4">{{cite web |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&DocId=6388214&File=206#24 |title=House Government Bill - Bill C-4 |publisher=Parliament of Canada |access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref>

==Facilities==

===The Bridge===
The Blue Water Bridge Authority was responsible for the Canadian half of the [[Blue Water Bridge]], a twin-span bridge over the [[St. Clair River]] at the mouth of [[Lake Huron]].  It sits on {{convert|98|acre|}} of land in the village of [[Point Edward, Ontario]]. The American half of the bridge is separately owned and maintained by the [[Michigan Department of Transportation]].<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|10}}

===Canadian Plaza===
There are several buildings and operations underneath the bridge on the Canadian side, collectively known as the Canadian Plaza.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|12}} Among these are:

* Administration offices
* Canada Border Services Agency
* Canadian Food Inspection Agency
* Commercial brokers	
* Currency Exchange
* Customs brokers
* Duty Free Store
* Public washrooms
* Toll office

==Business==
The main source of revenue for Bridge operations on the Canadian side is the exclusive right, granted by the ''Canada Transportation Act (1996)'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-10.4/page-29.html#s-155.97 |title=Canada Transportation Act - Section 155.97 |publisher=Government of Canada |accessdate=22 November 2016}}</ref> to collect tolls from westbound traffic crossing the bridge from [[Canada]] into the [[United States]].  Toll revenue from eastbound traffic into Canada from the United States is levied by and belongs to the [[Michigan Department of Transportation]].<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|13}}  Toll rates are reviewed regularly, and both sides of the Bridge independently vary their rates based on fluctuating traffic conditions, trade agreements between Canada and the United States, foreign exchange rates between the two countries' currencies, and other factors.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|14}}

Other sources of revenue include Duty Free Store sales, currency exchange fees, and interest on cash and investments.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|33}}

Expenses include salaries and benefits, general and administrative expenses, and maintenance costs.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|34}}

==Community Integration==
Approximately {{convert|38.5|acre|}} of land owned by the Bridge has been identified as archaeologically sensitive according to the ''Cemeteries Act (Ontario)'', due to aboriginal burial sites in the area.  The land on which the bridge was built was once a hub for the [[Anishinaabe]] trade network that spanned the continent, and a place of celebration and ceremony.<ref name="shs-souls">{{cite web |url=http://www.sarniahistoricalsociety.com/story/the-souls-memorial-2/ |title=The Souls Memorial |publisher=Sarnia Historical Society |access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref> Today, responsibility for preserving the burial sites is held by the [[Aamjiwnaang First Nation]] [[Band government|band]] in [[Sarnia, Ontario]].<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|12}}  Blue Water Bridge Canada and Aamjiwnaang First Nation have historically maintained an excellent working relationship, yielding conflict-free construction of the second bridge span, expanded parking lots, and other on-site development despite taking place on archaeologically sensitive land.  Officials from the Bridge and Aamjiwnaang First Nation continue to meet yearly to explore current and future issues of mutual interest.<ref name="corp-plan-2012-2016" />{{rp|12}}

===Souls Memorial===
As a symbol of co-operation and respect between the Blue Water Bridge and the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, a statue was unveiled just south of the bridge on June 21, 2003, hand-carved by [[Anishinaabe]] artist and sculptor Dennis Henry-Shawnoo from a single piece of sandstone.<ref name="shs-souls" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://bluewaterbridge.ca/research_library |title=BWB - Souls Memorial |publisher=Federal Bridge Corporation |access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref>

==Amalgamation==
In October 2013, in order to streamline governance of the four separate Crown corporations that owned international crossings, the federal government announced its intention to amalgamate them under a single Crown corporation, the [[Federal Bridge Corporation|Federal Bridge Corporation Limited]].  Bill C-4 Section 8 was passed into law December 12, 2013,<ref name="bill-c4" /> and was fully in effect as of February 1, 2015.<ref name="corp-amalg" />

==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|Transport}}
* {{Portal-inline|Engineering}}
* {{Portal-inline|Canada}}
* {{Portal-inline|Ontario}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Former Crown corporations of Canada]]
[[Category:Canadian companies established in 1964]]
[[Category:Canadian companies disestablished in 2015]]
[[Category:1964 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:2015 disestablishments in Ontario]]