Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

A citizens’ petition is attempting to overthrow the federal government’s decision to replace the iconic Alexandra Bridge that has connected Ottawa and Gatineau for over 120 years.

“The structure of this bridge is the last beacon for the people of Hull to locate and remember,” said André Cadieux, author of the petition.

From 1898 to 1900, the Alexandra Bridge was constructed to accommodate the rail system and became the first interprovincial bridge in the National Capital Region, linking Ottawa and Gatineau. The bridge now annually serves thousands of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.

A national staple, the bridge has been recognized for its iconic beauty and world-class workmanship, but decades of natural elements, salt, and usage have taken their toll. In 2018, a life cycle cost analysis found that replacing the bridge would be more cost-effective and less disruptive to the public than keeping up the maintenance of the existing bridge. The following year, the Government of Canada ordered the replacement of the bridge within a 10-year timeframe.

Despite its inclusion in the National Trust for Canada’s Endangered Places List in 2021, the replacement project currently sits in the planning and design phase, where it will remain until 2025. Repairs will remain ongoing until the start of deconstruction in 2028 and the bridge will be expected to be operational in 2032.

The new bridge was expected to be wider than its current counterpart with two lanes for vehicle traffic in each direction that could later be modified for a tramway or light rail system. Plans also included a two-way lane with clear separation for pedestrians and cyclists on the west side of the bridge. Seating will also be incorporated to provide safe and unstructured rest points or viewing locations.

According to the Government of Canada’s summary of the project, the bridge’s new design will address the history and unique setting of the existing structure.

“We’re collaborating with heritage specialists and other stakeholders to preserve and commemorate the legacy of the bridge,” reads the webpage. But this nod to the Alexandra Bridge’s iconic past meant little to the citizens who do not wish to see the structure disappear from the Ottawa-Gatineau skyline.

Hoping to sway the federal government’s decision, André Cadieux started a petition to preserve the 124-year-old bridge and cease the “further (disfiguration of) the centre-ville of Hull.”

“Almost all the heritage of old Hull has disappeared,” said Cadieux. “There remains one that is already condemned, the Alexandra Bridge. And it is on this bridge that several citizens decided to raise their heads and demand to be heard.” As of March 22, the petition has collected 1,846 signatures and over 850 comments citing the structure’s significance.

“These people who signed the petition want to preserve this link with the past, restore its luster, its place in the region’s heritage, and make it an attraction by using it as the largest promenade between two banks,” said Cadieux.

Helping to circulate the petition was the Alexandra Bridge Coalition that was formed in 2021 by advocates from the heritage, transportation, and environmental sectors to protect the future of the historic bridge. Among the members of the coalition was the Association des Résidants de l’Île de Hull. Vice president of the association and spokesperson for the coalition Claude Royer said that, rather than ridding the region of this heritage and leaving another carbon footprint, the bridge should be used for sustainable transport. “It’s cheaper in carbon costs to maintain infrastructure like the Alexandra Bridge than trying to replace it with a new one,” said Royer.

The National Capital Commission must conduct a minimum of five rounds of public consultation throughout the three phases of the project. The first round of consultation occurred in the fall of 2020 and the next round was anticipated to launch this year in late spring or early summer.

Photo caption: Repairs to the historic Alexandra Bridge will be ongoing until deconstruction begins in 2028.

Photo credit: Taylor Clark