Repercussions began to be felt on schools and auto factories in the Windsor, Ontario area, on the fourth day of the blockade organized on the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Canada to the United States.
• Read also: Manitoba: Vehicles and farm equipment block border crossing
• Read also: ‘Lockdowns are unacceptable’ and a threat to economy, says Trudeau
“There may be traffic jams along Wyandotte Street West near the Ambassador Bridge [jeudi]which could cause delays for students attending nearby schools,” Windsor police said on their Twitter account in the morning, suggesting alternate travel routes.
A few hours later, authorities mentioned that the presence of protesters “makes access to the bridge difficult”, even if it is not closed to traffic heading towards the United States.
“We ask all motorists to avoid both access points to the bridge. Anyone attempting to cross the Ambassador Bridge should expect significant delays.
And traffic is not the only one to be disturbed by this rally, while the Ford Canada plant located in Windsor announced its closure on Wednesday. The factory present in Oakville operates on a “reduced schedule”.
“The Detroit/Windsor Bridge disruption is hurting customers, autoworkers, suppliers, communities and businesses on both sides of the border, who have already been experiencing parts shortages for two years as a result of the global problem of semiconductors, COVID and other issues,” Ford of Canada spokesperson Rose Pao said in an email to Global News.
The spokeswoman hopes the conflict will be “resolved quickly”, at the risk of seeing “a widespread impact on all automakers in the United States and Canada”.
On the side of General Motors, a spokesperson for the company in the United States told the media that the company is “working closely” with its suppliers to mitigate the impacts on production.
The second shift at the Lansing Delta Township, Mich. plant was canceled on Wednesday due to “parts shortage issues,” spokesman Daniel Flores confirmed.
General Motors’ Canadian factories were still in operation on Wednesday.
The news comes after a call from Windsor’s mayor and Windsor police for reinforcements from Ottawa and the Ontario government to stop the convoy of truckers.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com