Webinar discusses benefits of US-Canada bridge

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DAYTON — The Great Miami Riverway will launch a new monthly webinar — Riverway Conversations — on Oct. 27.

In the series premiere, Joe Comartin, the Consul General of the Canadian Consulate General in Detroit, will discuss how the Gordie Howe International Bridge will dramatically improve the flow of goods and services between Canada and Ohio.

“Canada and the United States share one of the closest and most prosperous bilateral relationships in the world,” Comartin said. “I look forward to engaging with Ohio’s business and political leaders to share an update on the new, multimodal Gordie Howe International Bridge and to discuss how the implementation of the new United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) can enhance our trade and economic ties.”

The $5.7 billion, six-lane bridge is expected to be complete in 2024. It will run from Windsor, Ontario, to Detroit and could have an impact on Great Miami Riverway communities because:

• Canada is Ohio’s number one trading partner. According to a 2019 Montgomery County study, trade with Canada accounts for more than 300,000 Ohio jobs.

• Riverway communities like Sidney in Shelby County have large manufacturing bases. Shelby County, in fact, has more manufacturing jobs per capita than any county in the state.

The current four-lane Ambassador Bridge connecting southwest Canada and Michigan is owned by a private company. It’s the only international border crossing in private hands. The Canadian and American governments believe a larger, publicly owned structure, with more security and connectivity to major highways on both sides of the border, will lead to greater economic benefit to both countries.

“The Dayton Region’s economy reflects our strong connection to our Canadian neighbors, and the Gordie Howe bridge will serve as a critical economic link between our two countries. The I-75 corridor already allows for quick access to Canadian markets and suppliers, and additional infrastructure will only improve the flow of goods,” said Jeff Hoagland, President and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition. “We look forward to hearing from Consul General Comartin and learning more about this exciting project.”

Register for the online event and learn how the project will impact southwest Ohio communities. This event is co-sponsored by the Dayton Development Coalition. Register at https://tinyurl.com/Oct27RiverwayConversation.

Each episode of Riverway Conversations will feature development, programs, and activities/events impacting communities of the Great Miami River corridor.

The Great Miami Riverway is building a network of communities — connected by the Great Miami River—by increasing economic and community investment to attract more visitors, customers, jobs, and talented workers to southwest Ohio.

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