Matthew Moroun says the convoy blockade was a 'black eye' he never wants to see repeated.
Matthew Moroun, pictured in 2018 in Detroit. The owner of the Ambassador Bridge, which carries around a quarter of Canada's trade traffic with the U.S., says he is trying to repair the reputation that his company earned on both sides of the border under his late father, Manuel 'Matty' Moroun, who riled residents and officials with the ruthless and combative way he defended his near monopoly on cross-border bridge traffic.
"Whatever olive branch I can extend, whatever hard work I can guarantee," said Moroun in an interview with CBC News. But it's no secret that the elder Moroun made enemies on both sides of the border. For example, when he bought up homes in a historic area called Old Sandwich Towne at the foot of his bridge in Windsor in anticipation of needing the land for a second bridge span. The homes were left vacant and in disrepair for years as he awaited expansion approvals.
He hopes for a new era in the company's relations with the city, but so far, he sees no evidence of it. It's been only two years since 48-year-old Moroun took the reins of his father's trucking and logistics empire and vast property holdings, and, he says, he's been working to smooth relationships by adopting a more collaborative, positive approach.Masse points, for example, to Moroun's so far unfulfilled promises to carry out beautification projects.
He said it was hard to keep "cool" when protests closed the Ambassador Bridge in February — choking off Canada's busiest cargo trade route with the U.S.
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