WINDSOR, Ont. – Matty Moroun, the billionaire trucking and warehousing mogul who owns the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor-Detroit, has been eager to meet with Canada’s newest transport minister, TodaysTrucking.com has learned.

Transport Canada’s Mark Butler of the Windsor Gateway Project confirmed that Ambassador Bridge officials sent a letter to Minister Lawrence Cannon about setting up a meeting in Ottawa.

Moroun, reportedly, has also met U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins this week to discuss the busiest commercial border crossing in the world.

“Ambassador Bridge (officials) wrote us a letter April 5 requesting a meeting with our minister,” said Butler. “Unfortunately the minister was previously committed to another (engagement). Certainly we’re looking at possible dates where we can meet with the Ambassador people very soon.”

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However, sources later told TodaysTucking.com that a meeting with Moroun, at least, will take place by week’s end. Reportedly, the Grosse Pointe, Mich.-based powerbroker wants to bend Cannon’s ear on everything from the future of the Ambassador to the bridge company’s involvement, if at all, on a new crossing at the border.

Butler says that the letter sent by the bridge company did not indicate the owner wanted to talk about the new bridge. Butler says officials simply want to meet the new minister to go over some recent enhancements made to the Ambassador, as well as update the minister on all the ongoing infrastructure plans for the region.

Moroun, nor his bridge executives, have ever been shy in the past about offering up opinions on the new bridge, which will likely be built in the next 10 years 3 km southwest of the Ambassador, a binational border crossing selection committee recently announced. While Moroun has publicly opposed a new bridge — urging government officials to instead allow him to twin the existing Ambassador across the Detroit River — he has hinted at times he’d either like to own or control the second bridge as well if it were to be built.

It’s been rumored that Moroun controls easements for bridge piers and overhead rights for a new bridge close to where the new bridge is proposed.

Recently, ownership of the existing Port of Detroit property was transferred from Detroit Marine Terminals to the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority, which, in turn, entered into an operating agreement with the Ambassador Port Corp. The contract apparently allows Moroun to run “other transportation projects” that the port authority may build. That could mean operating rights for a new bridge if it’s built at the dock site — which is about 2 km southwest of the Ambassador.

In a recent exclusive interview with the Windsor Star, Moroun wondered why the public would trust the government with moving traffic. “We have helped the border grow, we helped Windsor grow. We helped the county and province grow. So what’s bad about an ownership that is private, that takes things to heart and has their hands in it for immediate action to everyone’s benefit?” he said.

Butler said the minister would likely bring up with bridge officials a recent controversy regarding the Ambassador. A report by the Star described how bridge management is telling workers to wave through trucks carrying hazardous cargo in violation of a U.S. ban.

“I think certainly it would be a matter of discussion the minister would like to have,” said Butler, adding that the government is considering bringing back an amendment to the Transportation Act, originally tabled by the former Liberals, which gives the government increased powers over the private bridge. (Currently, enforcement officials and even bridge engineers are allowed on the bridge only at the operators’ discretion).

“The bill did not go ahead because of the election,” Butler said. “We’re looking at reintroducing that bill, which would give the federal government additional authority to regulate to some extent privately-owned bridges. Certainly, that would be a topic of conversation with Mr. Moroun.”

The proposed amendments give the government of Canada the legislative authority required to provide oversight of the 24 international bridges and tunnels between the U.S. and Canada to “ensure that the interests of Canadians are protected.” The proposal would also provide Transport Canada with the authority to approve the construction or alteration of international bridges and tunnels, and to develop regulations pertaining to the governance, maintenance, security and operation of these structures.

The intent, says Transport Canada’s Brian McGregor, is to give overall governance regime to bridge’s and tunnels, whether they’re provincially owned and regulated, federally regulated, or privately operated.