Community Benefits | Gordie Howe International Bridge

WDBA has mandated that a comprehensive Community Benefits Plan be formulated and delivered by the private-sector partner with stringent oversight by WDBA. This plan will contain initiatives that will have a positive impact on communities in Windsor and Detroit.

The Crossing Agreement signed in 2012 by the Government of Canada and the State of Michigan required the incorporation of a Community Benefits Plan for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project that covers both Canada and Michigan and includes: (A) the manner in which stakeholders and community are to continue to be involved; (B) the manner in which host community input relating to community benefits and stakeholder involvement are to be factored; (C) the manner in which bidders plan to work with local institutes of higher learning, unions and others; and (D) the manner in which job training and local job development will be encouraged.

Vision

The vision for Community Benefits on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project is to deliver a series of initiatives, based on public input, that create measurable and positive results-based opportunities for the host communities.

For the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, BridgingNA’s Community Benefits Plan will:

Provide economic opportunities in the host communities
Contribute positively to workforce development programs, thereby improving economic inclusion
Deliver neighbourhood improvements
Ensure clear commitments and accountability from all parties for its delivery.

Guiding Framework

It is important that the Community Benefits Plan reflect what our stakeholders have told us is important to them. To help ensure these community priorities are captured, WDBA has developed a guiding framework to support the delivery of the Community Benefits Plan.

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The Community Benefits Plan shall be based on the following principles, referred to as the Framework:

Integrated: Community Benefits shall be an integral component of the Project carried out during the construction and operation periods.

Collaborative: Community Benefits shall reflect the input of the host communities and be delivered through partnerships, ensuring that the interests of the respective communities are taken into account.

Accessible: Community Benefits shall be easy to understand, easily accessible, regularly measured and publicly reported.

Regional: Community Benefits shall be reflective of the character of the region, tailored specifically for the region and provide value to the region.

Enterprising: Community Benefits shall be comprised of new methods, ideas and innovative approaches to engage and benefit the neighbouring communities.

Community Benefits Report
September 29, 2018

Community Benefits Highlights

Project Delivery

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is being delivered through a public-private partnership (P3). On September 28, 2018, Bridging North America (BridgingNA) reached financial close for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project and officially became WDBA’s private-sector partner. BridgingNA will be responsible to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Canadian and US Ports of Entry and the bridge and to design, build and finance the Michigan Interchange. It will also be responsible for delivering all aspects of the signed Project Agreement including a robust Community Benefits Plan.

Team Approach

BridgingNA team members have extensive experience in planning, developing and executing community benefits that effectively address community concerns and provide social, economic and environmental benefits to the communities where we work and will apply a proven approach to engaging stakeholders.

The team will facilitate and promote community involvement, empower stakeholders and create and sustain an environment of trust. Community benefits initiatives will be delivered in collaboration and coordination with WDBA and the State of Michigan to develop and execute joint initiatives, community engagement, and communications and public engagement strategies and/or materials.

Public Participation

Consultation completed to date has indicated a strong desire amongst the community for continued involvement in the delivery of the Community Benefits Plan. As such, a local community group composed of stakeholders representing Windsor-Essex County, the community of Delray, greater Detroit area municipalities, bridge user groups, institutions of higher education, economic development organizations and Canadian Indigenous Peoples will be formed to work as informal partners in the implementation of collaborative activities, providing formal linkages into the region and providing input into the implementation of the Community Benefits Plan. The Local Community Group will meet quarterly. This fall, parties interested in participating in the Local Community Group will be asked to respond to an open expression of interest.

Reporting and Oversight

WDBA and the State of Michigan will be directly involved in the delivery of the final Community Benefits Plan and will have stringent oversight to ensure the commitments outlined are monitored and achieved. Through consultation, the communities have expressed the importance of public reporting. As such, the Community Benefits Plan will include a robust documenting, tracking and reporting structure that demonstrates accountability to the region. The Community Benefits Plan will be posted on the project website once finalized as will quarterly reports on progress and results.

Since 2015, more than 230 suggestions for community benefits were submitted by Michigan and Ontario residents, Indigenous Peoples, business owners and community and municipal leaders. WDBA and its Michigan partners in the Governor’s office and the Michigan Department of Transportation received suggestions through public meetings, focus groups and one-on-one meetings, as well as emails and letters.

These suggestions were shared with the three Proponent teams preparing submissions for the Request for Proposals. Most of the submissions fell within five themes:

local workforce and training strategies
construction impact and operation mitigation measures for nearby residents and businesses
community safety and connections
aesthetics and landscaping
regional economic and community development opportunities.

WDBA identified these as regional priorities to be addressed within the community benefits plan.

Approach to Community Benefits

The Community Benefits Plan to be delivered as part of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project reflects the regional priorities heard to date, and is comprised of two components:

The Workforce Development and Participation Strategy is geared toward engaging businesses and focuses on supporting workforce, training and pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship opportunities.
The Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy focuses on collaborating with stakeholders and community members through consultation to develop a community infrastructure strategy based on identified priorities

Workforce Development and Participation Strategy

There is an expectation that residents and businesses within the region will participate in the economic opportunities made possible by the Project.

As part of the Community Benefits Plan, a strategy geared toward engaging businesses and providing employment opportunities will be developed and implemented and will centre on (i) workforce, (ii) training and (iii) pre-apprenticeships/apprenticeships.

This strategy focuses on how BridgingNA will ensure opportunities for local workforce development and training occur on both sides of the border, as well as how existing local resources will be leveraged to maximize the opportunities for Windsorites and Detroiters.

Further consultation with workforce development agencies, unions and educational institutions will be undertaken to finalize the proposed Workforce Development and Participation Strategy initiatives identified in the Community Benefits Report.

Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy
The second component of the Community Benefits Plan is the Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy, a $20 million community infrastructure investment focused on priorities identified through community benefit consultation that took place in 2015, 2016 and 2017 with communities, businesses, First Nations and other stakeholders in Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. The Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy will be comprised of initiatives that are consistent with the Crossing Agreement and the key regional priorities identified through consultation. Taking feedback previously received from the community into account, further consultation will be undertaken to select the initiatives that will be included in the Final Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy.

Finalizing the Plan

Public input is important to the delivery of the Community Benefits Plan. Feedback provided through consultation undertaken to date has informed BridgingNA’s development of initiatives for consideration into the final Community Benefits Plan, including options that range from truly innovative to simple solutions that recognize the uniqueness of Sandwich and Delray. The Community Benefits Report highlights stakeholder feedback received to date and proposed infrastructure initiatives that may be considered for delivery in the Final Community Benefits Plan. Further consultation to finalize the plan will be undertaken on a variety of initiatives in a six-month period following Financial Close.

During this six-month period, BridgingNA will present initiatives that could be incorporated into the final plan for input. The final Community Benefits Plan, comprised of the Workforce Development and Participation Strategy and the Neighbourhood Infrastructure Strategy, will be presented to the public in early 2019.

Consultation will take into consideration efforts already underway by municipalities, senior levels of government and other agencies to improve or enhance the communities. Gordie Howe International Bridge community benefit initiatives will not duplicate or replace such efforts. There may be some cases where the Community Benefits Plan works to enhance these efforts through further collaboration.