OTTAWA — Canada’s federal government and the US government signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to maintain a high priority on the development of enhanced capacity of the border-crossing infrastructure in the Detroit-Windsor region.

The MOC has earmarked increased border crossing capacity, an efficient and secure Windsor-Detroit Corridor, as key priorities for the two neighboring governments.

The MOC provides opportunities for the two governments to commit publicly to continue working together to develop a crossing that not only benefits the economies of Michigan and Ontario, but also supports the economies of both countries.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and
Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities,
signed a deal to work towards a new border
crossing along the Ontario border.

“Canada is experiencing the second-largest period of economic expansion in Canadian history,” stated Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “That is why the Government of Canada is committed to developing additional border capacity along the Windsor-Detroit corridor. It is a crucial support to the continued growth of the economies of Canada and the United States.”

The MOC follows the direction given at the North American Leaders’ Summit on August 21, 2007, in Montebello, Quebec, Canada by the Prime Minister of Canada and the President of the United States.

Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation will coordinate with interested federal agencies and with provincial and state partners to strengthen collaboration on this critical project.

“Providing new capacity at this critical crossing will strengthen our economies, cut congestion, and improve the flow of goods and people that define the special relationship between our two nations,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters.