Ottawa entertains private role in new bridge at Canada's busiest border crossing

"What the private sector does is maintain the infrastructure, make sure it's properly paved, cleaned, things of that nature," McFadden said.

Cannon - who did say that a private-sector partner could "operate" the crossing - bristled at the suggestion that such a move could weaken Canadian sovereignty and security.

"I don't think that we're in the midst of having (Public Safety Minister) Stockwell Day's department run by the private sector."

Cannon's announcement came as the council released a new poll that suggests Canadians are supportive of the concept of public-private partnerships.

The poll, conducted by Environics Research, found 64 per cent of the 2,021 respondents agreed that private companies should be involved in public infrastructure projects, up from 60 per cent from 2004. The poll is considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Quebec registered the highest level of support at 73 per cent, while Ontario was the lowest at 58 per cent.

While the poll suggests Canadians have warmed to the concept of P3s, it is "very short on questions that relate to access, cost and quality concerns," said Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

"When those issues hit the table, the public gets very concerned that private elements will own and operate infrastructure."

If Ottawa does decide to involve the private sector in the border crossing, it will have to ensure that the process is "fair, open, transparent and efficient," said Ontario Infrastructure Minister David Caplan.

Ottawa is exploring the possibility of allowing the private sector to finance and operate a new border crossing at Canada's busiest point of entry to the United States, Trade and Infrastructure Minister Lawrence Cannon said Monday.

The clear signal that the federal government is entertaining private involvement in a second bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ont., comes amid new polling data that suggests nearly two-thirds of Canadians support the idea of public-private partnerships.

"The government of Canada . . . intends to explore the opportunity to partner with the private sector to design, build, finance and operate the new crossing," Cannon told a national conference on public-private partnerships.

"It is incumbent on the government to work with its private-sector partners to communicate the value of these projects to Canada."

The Windsor-Detroit crossing, currently serviced by a bridge and tunnel, handles more than one-quarter of Canada's trade traffic with the U.S. and is the busiest in the country.

The new bridge, expected to be completed by 2013, would link Highway 401 to the U.S. Interstate I-75 and would also involve the construction of new customs inspection plazas and connecting highways.

Security at the border crossing would continue to be the domain of Canadian and American border agencies, said David McFadden, chairman of communications for The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.

"What the private sector does is maintain the infrastructure, make sure it's properly paved, cleaned, things of that nature," McFadden said.

Cannon - who did say that a private-sector partner could "operate" the crossing - bristled at the suggestion that such a move could weaken Canadian sovereignty and security.

"I don't think that we're in the midst of having (Public Safety Minister) Stockwell Day's department run by the private sector."

Cannon's announcement came as the council released a new poll that suggests Canadians are supportive of the concept of public-private partnerships.

The poll, conducted by Environics Research, found 64 per cent of the 2,021 respondents agreed that private companies should be involved in public infrastructure projects, up from 60 per cent from 2004. The poll is considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Quebec registered the highest level of support at 73 per cent, while Ontario was the lowest at 58 per cent.

While the poll suggests Canadians have warmed to the concept of P3s, it is "very short on questions that relate to access, cost and quality concerns," said Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

"When those issues hit the table, the public gets very concerned that private elements will own and operate infrastructure."

If Ottawa does decide to involve the private sector in the border crossing, it will have to ensure that the process is "fair, open, transparent and efficient," said Ontario Infrastructure Minister David Caplan.

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