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2 dead after blast at Rainbow Bridge linking Ontario-N.Y., governor says ‘no sign’ of terrorism

Published

12 months ago

November 23, 2023

There’s no indication that a vehicle crash and explosion Wednesday that killed two people on the American side of the Rainbow Bridge — which connects Ontario and New York — is linked to terrorism, says New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“Based on what we know at this moment, there is no sign of terrorist activity in this crash,” Hochul said at a news conference.

She said an individual from Western New York was “involved” in a “crash,” but she did not clarify if the person was the driver.

“We’re going to ensure the public is safe before they go back on the Rainbow Bridge.”

Late Wednesday evening, the FBI in Buffalo confirmed in a statement posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that it had concluded its investigation at the scene of the incident. The post said that a search “revealed no explosive materials” and that investigators found no connections to terrorism.

It said the investigation is now in the hands of the Niagara Falls Police Department in New York state.

<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/NEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#NEW</a> Statement from <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/FBI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#FBI</a> Buffalo regarding the investigation at Rainbow Bridge: <a href=”https://t.co/4lwvq8PsAe”>pic.twitter.com/4lwvq8PsAe</a>

—@FBIBuffalo

Hochul said events began at 11:27 a.m. ET. The explosion led to the closure of four area bridge border crossings ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend.

Information about the second person who died was not available.

Shortly after 5 p.m., Ontario Provincial Police said the Peace, Queenston-Lewiston and Whirlpool Rapids bridges had reopened. The Rainbow Bridge remained closed.

“Naturally, at a time of heightened alert, everybody springs into action,” Hochul said. “We’re not aware of any threats to this area, but I state the caveat that the investigation is ongoing.”

Canadian government sources told CBC News on Wednesday afternoon that answers about what happened may take some time as the vehicle involved was badly burned. Ottawa is “highly confident” the car originated in the United States, they said.

Vehicle basically ‘incinerated’

Hochul said a video shows how the vehicle basically “incinerated” and nothing was left but the engine.

“It’s going to take a lot of time for our federal law enforcement partners … to be able to piece together the real story.”

man directing traffic — A police officer directs tourists in Niagara Falls, N.Y., away from the Rainbow Bridge border crossing after a car exploded within the customs plaza on Wednesday. (Derek Gee/The Buffalo News/The Associated Press)

Earlier Wednesday, the FBI Buffalo Field Office posted on X that it was investigating a vehicle explosion.

“The FBI is coordinating with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in this investigation. As this situation is very fluid, that’s all we can say at this time.”

The Buffalo Niagara International airport said on X that it was open and “fully operational.”

PMO in contact with U.S. officials

The Rainbow Bridge connects the tourism sectors of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Niagara Falls, N.Y. It has 16 car inspection lanes into the U.S. and 15 into Canada. The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission website, which oversees the bridges, says they see about seven million passages annually.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s press secretary, Jenna Ghassabeh, said in an email shortly after the explosion that Trudeau was briefed “by the national security and intelligence adviser about the situation in Niagara Falls.”

The email said the Prime Minister’s Office is “in contact with the U.S. officials. The minister of public safety, RCMP and CBSA [Canada Border Services Agency] are fully engaged and providing all necessary support.”

Trudeau, speaking in the House of Commons, called it “a very serious situation” and said his office would “remain engaged” on the incident the rest of the day.

Government sources told CBC on Wednesday afternoon there was no firm conclusion on whether the explosion was intentional. Because it was at a site of critical infrastructure, the operating assumption from government is there is a security threat until proven otherwise, they added.

A spokesperson from Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center confirmed a border patrol agent was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries from the explosion.

Shortly after the explosion, the CBSA told CBC Hamilton via email that it was “liaising with our U.S. counterparts on this matter.”

The U.S. transportation agency, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, said it was “increasing security system-wide.”

Security was also stepped up at other Canadian border crossings.

The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel said it was operating at a “heightened level of security” in the wake of the explosion at the Rainbow Bridge. In a statement, the tunnel’s chief executive officer said the crossing remained open but some delays were expected. Officials are monitoring the situation at other Windsor-Detroit border crossings as well.

In northwestern Ontario, border crossings at the Fort Frances Bridge between Fort Frances, Ont., and International Falls, Minn., the Pigeon River crossing near Thunder Bay remain open. The CBSA also lists the bridge crossing between Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., as open.

The Niagara Regional Police Service wrote on X there was “no known threat on the Canadian side” of the border. The service added the public should expect to see more police out, as well as road closures near the bridges and “significant traffic congestion on Niagara roadways, including highways.”

Also on X, Toronto police wrote that while they are unaware of any threats to the city, they would be increasing officer patrols “out of an abundance of caution.”

‘One city divided by a border’

Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls, Ont., told CBC Hamilton he was getting out of a dentist appointment around lunchtime when he learned about the explosion.

“As soon as I saw [the] border closed, the hair on my back stands up,” Diodati told CBC.

“We often say Niagara Falls is one city divided by a border.”

If you can imagine, the bridge was packed with cars that had to turn around and be sent back to Canada. It was nerve-racking.”– Forrest Willett, Ontario resident

As a border town, he said, the crossings are important to Niagara Falls. They facilitate trade and tourism, and many locals have loved ones on the American side.

“It’s cause for alarm,” he said, especially given people tend to cross this time of year for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday shopping.

In a situation such as this, the mayor said officials prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Witness accounts

Ontario real estate agent Forrest Willett was waiting to cross into the U.S. over the Peace Bridge for work on Wednesday when border officers began approaching cars.

He said an officer told him they were evacuating the bridge as there had been an explosion at the nearby Rainbow Bridge.

Canadian shopper describes reaching border crossing right after explosion

Featured VideoAlex Moran and his girlfriend reached the Rainbow Bridge just after the explosion. He describes the experience of being caught up in the violent incident and the subsequent border crossing closures.

Willett said he felt like the “elevator floor” had dropped out from under him and he was counting down the seconds until he could get off the bridge.

“If you can imagine, the bridge was packed with cars that had to turn around and be sent back to Canada,” Willett said. “It was nerve-racking.”

He said the officers directed traffic and all personal vehicles drove off the bridge within 20 minutes. They’re now crammed on streets and parking lots and people wait for the bridge to reopen, he said mid-afternoon.

Jose Ventura Jr. was visiting Niagara Falls, N.Y., with his family on Wednesday. They had just stopped at a nearby park and were heading toward the Rainbow Bridge when they heard a loud bang and saw thick smoke.

He told CBC Hamilton his 10-year-old daughter was “really scared and screaming out.”

Moments later, he said, police began evacuating the area.

“We just had to get out of there,” Ventura said. “We were worried something else might occur and for sure didn’t feel safe.”

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In the news today: Trump declares victory and secures comeback

Published

2 mins ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

Donald Trump declares victory and secures political comeback

Former president Donald Trump is poised to return to White House after a polarizing U.S. election that deeply divided the country. The U.S. election on Tuesday saw Trump post early wins in critical states by taking Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia. Vice-President Kamala Harris did not appear at her election night party at her alma mater Howard University in Washington. Top aides told the audience that Democrats would continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted. However, U.S. TV networks projected Trump would be the winner early Wednesday morning.

Final day for nominations in Nova Scotia election

Today is the final day for candidate nominations in Nova Scotia’s provincial election campaign. Under the province’s Elections Act, nominations must close 20 days before election day on Nov. 26. The Progressive Conservatives confirmed in a news release last week that they will have a full slate of 55 candidates. The NDP and Liberals confirmed Tuesday that they will have a full slate of candidates, though there was no immediate word from the Green Party. At dissolution, the Progressive Conservatives held 34 seats in the 55-seat legislature, the Liberals held 14 seats, the NDP had six and there was one Independent.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

Nunavut premier to face confidence vote Wednesday

Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok is expected to face a confidence vote today in the territorial legislature. In a surprise move on Monday, Aivilik MLA Solomon Malliki gave notice that he’d present a motion calling for Akeeagok to be stripped of his premiership and removed from cabinet. In Nunavut’s consensus style of government — in which there are no political parties — the MLAs elect a premier from amongst themselves. If the motion passes, Akeeagok would be the second premier in Nunavut’s history to be ousted by the Legislative Assembly.

Greater Toronto home sales surge in October: board

The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales in October surged as buyers continued moving off the sidelines amid lower interest rates. The board says 6,658 homes changed hands last month in the Greater Toronto Area, up 44.4 per cent compared with 4,611 in the same month last year. Sales were up 14 per cent from September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Board president Jennifer Pearce says that while it is still early in the Bank of Canada’s key interest rate cutting cycle, homebuyers appear motivated by lower borrowing costs which contributed to a “positive affordability picture” last month alongside relatively flat home prices.

Work of Canadian war artist on display in Calgary

More than two dozen paintings from respected Canadian war artist Bill MacDonnell are on display at the Military Museums in Calgary. MacDonnell spent three decades recording conflicts in Europe, Bosnia and Afghanistan but also looked back at atrocities from the past. Two of his paintings depict mass graves from the Second World War in Kyiv and Russia. Curator Dick Averns says MacDonnell considered himself to be a silent witness to some of the atrocities of war and usually involved destroyed buildings and the aftermath of war. The exhibit at the Military Museums in Calgary is the first for the artist since 2006.

Paula Hawkins talks isolation and new thriller

In Paula Hawkins’ latest thriller, people are emerging from pandemic isolation, engaging with culture once again, when a gallerygoer notices something a bit off about a sculpture displayed at the Tate Modern: it contains a deer bone that looks like it might actually be human. Set in the U.K. art scene, the end of COVID-19 lockdowns is a catalyst for the plot in the was-there-a-murder mystery. The thriller, centred on a mysterious museum collection hiding deadly secrets, is told from three perspectives: that of an artist who died shortly before the onset of the pandemic, her friend-turned-caretaker-turned-executor, and the museum curator tasked with retrieving the remaining artworks left to his employer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

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Justin Trudeau congratulates Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential win

Published

4 mins ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has extended congratulations to Donald Trump on his re-election as president of the United States.

Trump staged a major political comeback, securing the necessary 270 electoral college votes to win the presidency in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

This concludes a turbulent campaign for Trump, which included being convicted of 34 felonies in a hush-money case and two assassination attempts.

“On behalf of the government of Canada, I congratulate Donald Trump on being elected as President of the United States of America for a second term, and Senator JD Vance for his election as Vice-President of the United States,” Trudeau said in a statement.

“Canada and the U.S. have the world’s most successful partnership. We are neighbours and friends, united by a shared history, common values, and steadfast ties between our peoples. We are also each other’s largest trade partners and our economies are deeply intertwined.”

Trudeau added that in Trump’s first term, the two nations along with Mexico successfully negotiated the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement. Trudeau stressed the multi-billion dollar value of cross-border trade.

That trade deal is up for review in 2026, and Trump has promised to introduce a universal 10-per-cent tariff on all American imports.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly also shared her congratulations on the social media platform X.

“Canada and the U.S. are friends, neighbours and allies — deeply connected through our economies and our people,” she wrote.

“Together, we’ll focus on investment, growth and global peace and security.” Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman also extended congratulations to Trump and his running mate JD Vance.

“We have the great fortune of being neighbours, and the U.S. has no closer partner and ally than Canada. Looking forward to working together toward a more prosperous and secure future,” she said in a statement.

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Trump clinches victory; Trudeau touts Canada-U.S. relationship as ‘envy of the world’

Published

5 mins ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump clinched the United States election after a tumultuous campaign as Canadians officials espoused the important relationship between neighbours in congratulations to the former president on his extraordinary comeback.

“I will govern by a simple motto: promises made, promises kept,” Trump said to cheering party faithful at a Florida watch party.

Trump was elected the 47th president of the U.S. amidst a deeply divided America by prevailing among voters in the key battleground states.

Tuesday’s election saw Trump post early wins in critical states by taking North Carolina and Georgia. His path to victory became clear when he won the campaign’s most sought after 19 electoral college votes in Pennsylvania.

Vice-President Kamala Harris did not appear at her election night party at her alma mater Howard University in Washington.

Top aides told the audience that Democrats would continue overnight to fight to make sure that every vote is counted.

However, with a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency early Wednesday morning.

The Republicans also looked to take control of the U.S. Senate after flipping several Democrat seats. Results for control of the House of Representatives remained undecided.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Trump on seizing a second term in office. He said Canada and the U.S. have the world’s most successful partnership.

“The friendship between Canada and the U.S. is the envy of the world,” he said on X. “I know President Trump and I will work together to create more opportunity, prosperity, and security for both of our nations.”

In a statement, Trudeau said the two countries are “neighbours and friends, united by a shared history, common values, and steadfast ties between our peoples.”

“We are also each other’s largest trade partners and our economies are deeply intertwined.”

Canada will not be able to escape the geopolitical pull from the change in administration of its closest neighbour.

Trump has proposed 10 per cent across-the-board tariffs, making the duties the centrepiece of his platform. A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report suggests those tariffs would shrink the Canadian economy, resulting in around $30 billion per year in economic costs.

“I would say it’s code red in Canada-U.S. relations,” said Fen Hampson, a professor of international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa and co-chair of the Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations.

Hampson said Canada should not panic but must be prepared to double-down on efforts to build relationships with U.S. lawmakers at all levels and move away from strategies of quiet diplomacy.

Canadian officials have been reaching out to members of the Republican leader’s team for months ahead of the election, making clear the importance of the bilateral relationship.

Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., also sent her congratulations to Trump and his running mate JD Vance.

“We have the great fortune of being neighbours, and the U.S. has no closer partner and ally than Canada,” Hillman posted on social media. “Looking forward to working together towards a more prosperous and secure future.”

The first Trump administration demonstrated how vulnerable Canada can be when the former president scrapped the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Negotiating its successor, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, was a key test for Ottawa after Trump’s 2016 victory. The trilateral agreement will come under review in 2026.

Trump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. He is the first person convicted of a felony to be elected president and, at 78, is the oldest person elected to the office. Vance will become the highest-ranking member of the millennial generation in the U.S. government.

But right up to the moments Americans cast their ballots, polls showed the race was razor-thin.

The tumultuous campaign season saw Biden remove himself from the top of the Democrats’ ticket following a disastrous debate performance against Trump. The party quickly rallied support around Harris a little more than three months before election day.

The vice-president’s campaign kicked off with the idea of joy and charting a new path forward, but Harris was never able to fully shake off the criticism from many Americans about immigration, inflation and the economy directed at Biden’s administration.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press

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