BY MATTHEW FISHER, POSTMEDIA NEWS JULY 14, 2011
In a stunning and visionary combination of foreign and domestic policy, the Harper government announced that Watan Risk Management of Kandahar will now take responsibility for upgrading, and if necessary, replacing the Champlain Bridge, which is derelict.
"This is the direction Canadians have mandated for us," said an upbeat Stephen Harper. "We're getting the government out of the business of civil engineering, graft, and intimidation, and transferring it to private enterprise."
This daring new policy will build on the stunning success of Watan Risk Management (or "AWK" as it was universally known in Kandahar prior to yesterday) in managing the upgrade to the Dahla Dam, a Canadian signature project in Afghanistan co-managed with SNC-Lavalin.
"We're excited to be part on this new Canadian venture," said a spokesman for AWK, who asked for anonymity because of recent management changes. "The Champlain Bridge is in much better shape than was the Dahla when we took it over, and the security problems appear to be more than manageable."
Asked whether the company favoured a bridge replacement or a tunnel, the spokesman said that all options were on the table and it was too early to make a statement. "In general," he said, "we favour a project that takes the longest possible time with the fewest results." He added however that a further consideration in the Champlain crossing project is the efficient movement of Watan's agricultural products through Montreal ports to American markets. AWK had considered partnering with local First Nations entrepreneurs for trans-shipment to the USA, but a feasibility study showed "they just couldn't meet our requirements for scale."
