Authorities clam up about bridge activities

Whatever it was that had law enforcement agencies swarming over the International Bridge yesterday, authorities are extraordinarily tight-lipped about it.

Agencies involved in yesterday's activities either didn't return SooToday.com's phone calls or referred us to other agencies or provided conflicting information.

International Bridge staffers, for example, were told that Wednesday's search of the structure resulted from information received from the Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Police Service.

City Police, however, insisted that the bridge inspection was prompted by heightened perceptions of terror risk on the U.S. side.

Canada Customs and Revenue Agency is referring our calls to an Ottawa-area spokesman who so far hasn't managed to get back to us.

"What's going on at the International Bridge?" asked the first of several SooToday.com readers who contacted us wanting to know the reason for yesterday's bridge activity.

"Police, border patrols, Homeland Security and FBI? What sort of threat was made?" this reader asked in a 9:06 a.m. e-mail.

We do know that nothing more dangerous than a falcon's nest was discovered during Wednesday's sweep of the 2.8-mile structure.