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Canadians have heard plenty about the Gordie Howe International Bridge — but largely from one perspective. Much of the public debate has focused on allegations that the owner of the Ambassador Bridge, a prominent Republican donor, has been lobbying the White House to delay the bridge’s opening in order to protect his commercial interests. That narrative has dominated headlines in Canada. After speaking with U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra on The Food Professor Podcast, however, one thing became clear: Washington believes there is much more to the story.

CHARLEBOIS: What we learned from our exclusive interview with the U.S. ambassador to Canada Back to video

While Hoekstra did not directly assign blame for the current impasse, he implicitly argued that anti-American political rhetoric from Canadian leaders — including, for example, remarks made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford during last fall’s trade tensions — helped erode the trust needed for productive negotiations between Canada and the United States. If that assessment reflects the thinking in Washington, it also helps explain why discussions surrounding both the bridge and the upcoming CUSMA review have become far........

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