Taylor Clark
LJI Reporter
Gatineau municipal council was left with more questions than answers after the National Capital Commission presented an update on the Alexandra Bridge replacement project in early July.
“The Alexandra Bridge, I repeat, is the link between Gatineau and Ottawa,” said Versant district councillor Daniel Champagne. “It is the very symbol of the National Capital Region. And when we ask the question whether it is necessary to destroy it, and why destroy it, the answer is because we made this decision in 2019. For me, that does not reassure me.”
The Government of Canada ordered the interprovincial bridge to be replaced after a detailed inspection and life cycle analysis in 2019, but this has not deterred elected officials’ efforts to preserve the historic bridge.
The Alexandra Bridge has served as a crossing for motorists and pedestrians for more than 120 years and, according to the National Capital Commission, has reached the end of its life.
“Despite all current efforts to maintain the bridge, the assessments and studies are clear. The Alexandra Bridge will continue to deteriorate rapidly over the coming years. This will lead to more and more frequent closures to keep it safe,” said Bruno Fabien of the National Capital Commission.
Without the studies in hand, many of the council members argued other avenues should have been explored before finally settling on deconstructing the bridge.
“There is a Quebec expression … which says, “when you want to kill your dog, you say it has rabies.” In this context, with all respect, you are not convincing me in any way that this bridge cannot become a pedestrian bridge,” said Champagne.
With the slides mostly highlighting aesthetically pleasing photos, the district councillor said the presentation did not “unequivocally” demonstrate the infrastructure’s inability to be preserved, especially since restoration work was underway to keep the bridge in working order until deconstruction started in 2028.
“Let’s make efforts to maintain it for the next fifty years, but in a pedestrian context where we are creating an interesting network between the two shores which reaffirms our desire to be a region of the National Capital,” said Champagne.
Hull-Wright district councillor Steve Moran was also on the side of preservation and questioned whether the bridge’s heritage value was factored into the decision to replace the bridge.
“It’s hard to exaggerate the importance of the Alexandra Bridge for Gatineau’s identity. It’s very rare to see a photo that shows Gatineau and our city without having the bridge. Either that’s where the photo is taken from, or the bridge is in the photo. I have the impression that this identity is a little neglected in the discussion we had,” said Moran.
Fabien ensured the bridge’s legacy was examined in numerous studies along with various engineering reports indicating the infrastructure has surpassed its initial functionality.
“I think that the discussions should focus more on how we can ensure that, in 40 years, the people of the region will be as attached to the bridge as we are now,” said the National Capital Commission representative.
But just because a decision was made did not mean it could not be revisited, Steven Boivin argued as Aylmer district councillor. “There is a difference between making the choice and proving that choice … What I hear from at least a majority of people on the municipal council, is that (active transportation) has not been proven impossible. What is proven is that it is a choice that you made.”
Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette said council clearly conveyed the symbolic nature of the bridge which “(deserved) to be preserved.”
“We were told “trust us, there are studies,” but obviously we want to see them, we too want to be able to form an opinion based on the information they want to share with us,” said Marquis- Bissonnette. “I am not shaken in my conviction (to preserve the bridge), but what it tells me is that we must continue to ask questions.”
Photo caption: Although a decision was made in 2019, Gatineau council questions whether the Government of Canada would rethink replacing the Alexandra Bridge following a presentation from the National Capital Commission.
Photo credit: Taylor Clark