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Sault bridge company joins federal corp

As of Feb. 1, the Federal Bridge Corporation Ltd. has amalgamated with the St. Mary’s River Bridge Company and the Blue Water Bridge Authority to create a parent Crown corporation. The St.
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The Federal Bridge Corporation Ltd. has amalgamated with the St. Mary’s River Bridge Company and the Blue Water Bridge Authority to create a parent Crown corporation. (FILE PHOTO)

As of Feb. 1, the Federal Bridge Corporation Ltd. has amalgamated with the St. Mary’s River Bridge Company and the Blue Water Bridge Authority to create a parent Crown corporation.

The St. Mary’s River Bridge Company, which oversees operations of the Canadian portion of the International Bridge, was established in 1955 as a statutory not-for-profit organization. In 2000, The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL) acquired a 90.7 per cent ownership interest in St. Mary’s River Bridge Company (SMRBC) for 2$ from the International Bridge Authority, the predecessor of the International Bridge Administration (IBA), the U.S. government agency that operates the crossing.

The newly amalgamated Federal Bridge Corporation Limited has a mandate to provide the highest level of stewardship of the Canadian interests in the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, Ontario; the Seaway International Bridge in Cornwall, Ontario; the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; and the Thousand Islands Bridge at Lansdowne, Ontario, and ensure that the bridges and associated infrastructure are safe, secure, efficient, environmentally sound and well maintained.

It is responsible for the oversight of these bridges, including the provision of safe and secure infrastructure for the efficient transportation of passengers and goods and support of Canada-U.S. trade.

The amalgamation with the corporation’s remaining subsidiary, the Seaway International Bridge Corporation (SIBC), is expected to occur at a later date.

Following the amalgamation, the federal Transport Ministry added Ontario representation to the organization.

Appointments include Connie Graham from London (chair); Micheline Dubé from Ottawa (CEO); Gary Atkinson from Wyoming; Pascale Daigneault from Sarnia; Diana Dodge from Brockville; Rick Talvitie from Sault Ste. Marie; and Deborah Tropea from Cornwall.