New Manitoulin swing bridge nowhere in sight
The Little Current Swing Bridge that connects Manitoulin Island to the mainland via Highway 6 is more than 110 years old and has been waiting years to either be repaired or replaced.
The province committed to replacing the bridge in September 2023, but the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands mayor said the last time he spoke with representatives from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), he was told the process is still unfolding.
'They are looking at getting detailed design proposals, etc.,' Mayor Al MacNevin said.
'They've completed all the other steps and the treasury board approved the funding, but we still don't know when they're going to do it.'
MTO officials said procurement for the construction manager general contractor (CMGC) service provider is underway.
'We anticipate awarding the assignment to a service provider before the end of this year and design activities will follow,' said Julia Caslin, a MTO spokesperson.
From breakdowns to repairs, MacNevin said motorists have had to sometimes wait unexpectedly to cross the one-lane structure.
New swing bridge for Manitoulin Island
'It's always disheartening when you see traffic backing up through town because the bridge needs repairs or boats can't get through because it won't swing,' he said.
'Summer is coming up and it's always an adventure.'
The mayor added they don't have a definite answer or timeline on the work.
'We're hoping to see them start hammering away at the new bridge really quickly,' MacNevin said.
Meanwhile, Caslin said the ministry has identified the need for a support guide system to improve the bridge's swing function.
Swing bridge on Manitoulin Island
Swing bridge on Manitoulin Island
'The ministry has begun repairs to the steel deck plates/driving surface of the bridge to maintain the driving surface for vehicular traffic crossing the bridge,' she said.
'Both projects are underway and updates will be provided as the project progresses.'
With U.S. tariffs, MacNevin said he feels as though the work might not be top of mind for senior officials, but he remains hopeful that they are trudging away.
In 2021, the MTO released an engineering study which favoured a two-lane swing bridge to be built right beside the existing structure.
Out of 10 options that included a tunnel, drawbridge and car ferry, the current plan scored the highest at 74 per cent.
As for the current bridge, two options are still being considered, take it down and replace it or relocate it for continued or adapted use.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
14 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Ontario's Bill 5 has passed. Here's why it has sparked conflict with First Nations
Ontario's Bill 5, which passed on Wednesday, will give the provincial government sweeping powers to disregard its own laws in order to speed up mining or other projects – and has prompted warning of protests or blockades from Indigenous leaders who say they should have been consulted. Formally known as the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, the legislation allows the Ontario government to designate 'special economic zones' where it could suspend any provincial law – including environmental or labour rules and municipal bylaws – for companies or entities it labels 'trusted proponents.' The federal government, and B.C., are also pushing to accelerate major resource projects to try shore up the country's economy in the face of U.S. tariffs and China's dominance in critical minerals. But these moves are being made amid a shifting legal landscape on Indigenous issues – and could put governments on a collision course with First Nations. In addition to allowing for special economic zones, the bill also rewrites Ontario's endangered species legislation, allowing cabinet, instead of scientists, the final say on what species are protected. And it would loosen the rules around preserving Indigenous archeological sites. (It also includes other provisions to streamline mining approvals, supported both by the industry and even the opposition, that would see key projects funnelled through a centralized, 'one project, one process' system.) The government has said it aims to designate the remote northern Ring of Fire region, where it says reserves of critical minerals are key to Ontario's economy, as its first special economic zone. While three First Nations in and near the region are supporting plans for all-season roads to the area, others have opposed the push to mine there. How these zones will be implemented – and what rules will take the place of any laws wiped off the books – is supposed to be laid out in regulations that have not been released. Those regulations must also be subject to both First Nations and public consultations, which the government has promised over the summer. First Nations leaders say they should have been consulted first, and want the bill scrapped. As opposition to Bill 5 mounted from First Nations in recent days, the government said these future regulations could include provisions to allow 'Indigenous-led economic zones,' but provided no details. Bill 5 could affect these six species in Ontario, conservationists say Ontario's Bill 5 falls into a category lawyers label 'Henry VIII legislation,' as Laura Bowman, a staff lawyer at the group Ecojustice, has pointed out. The term invokes the infamous 16th-century English king – who had two of his wives beheaded – in giving the executive branch the power to pick and choose which laws passed by the legislature apply and to whom. This aspect has alarmed not just First Nations, but the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and opposition MPPs. Liberal MPP John Fraser compares Bill 5 to the executive powers now being abused by U.S. President Donald Trump. The government defends the need for the extraordinary powers, saying it can take 15 years to open a new mine in Ontario, much longer than in other jurisdictions. Properly called the 'duty to consult and accommodate' First Nations, it has been recognized in court rulings dating back to the 1980s. It obligates the Crown – meaning governments – to consult First Nations about activities that impact their treaty rights, which were embedded in Section 35 of the Constitution in 1982. Landmark Supreme Court of Canada rulings in the past 20 years have outlined and strengthened this obligation. In essence, if governments want to allow the construction of a mine or another project in a First Nation's traditional territory, they must engage in meaningful consultations and accommodate Indigenous concerns about its effects on treaty rights, such as hunting grounds of fishing grounds. The duty to consult has seen many First Nations sign 'impact benefit agreements' with mining companies or others operating on their traditional territories, which usually involve revenue for Indigenous governments. The Decibel: Unpacking the nationwide push to fast-track major projects Ontario Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford has repeatedly asserted it does not, referencing a 2018 Supreme Court ruling. In that case, the Mikisew Cree First Nation argued the then federal Conservative government had a duty to consult before bringing in contentious 2012 legislation that sparked the 'Idle No More' protest movement. In a split decision, the top court ruled against the First Nation, concluding that parliamentary privilege means governments do not trip over their constitutional obligation if they draft legislation without consulting first. But lawyers say the Mikisew ruling does not preclude governments from choosing to consult First Nations before tabling a bill. Governments routinely consult industry or other interest groups while drafting legislation. That phrase, routinely invoked by First Nations, comes from the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Canada had at first avoided endorsing but fully signed onto in 2016. Federal legislation in 2021 began the implementation of this new standard, which clearly goes beyond a 'duty to consult.' However, Ontario has not signed onto UNDRIP or adopted it in its law. And lawyers say what 'free, prior and informed consent' will precisely mean across Canada, in different contexts, remains legally contested ground. This is also increasingly contested ground, as First Nations argue their forebears understood these documents, signed hundreds of years ago in many cases, much differently than governments did. In a case working its way through the courts, 10 First Nations that signed Treaty 9 in 1905 – which covers two-thirds of Ontario's land mass and includes the Ring of Fire – argue they never gave up decision-making power on their lands and that a new 'co-jurisdiction' regime must be established. They are also seeking $95-billion they say they are owed under the treaty, which was signed by both Ontario and Canada. 'What First Nations are really saying is, forget the duty to consult,' said Kate Kempton, a veteran lawyer for First Nations in battles with mining companies who is leading the Treaty 9 case. 'It doesn't work. It needs to be the right to decide. Bill 5 is really just the straw that is breaking the camel's back.' The government has committed to consultations with the public and First Nations on the regulations it must draft before any 'special economic zones' are named. But Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which represents 49 First Nations across Northern Ontario including those in the Ring of Fire, has warned of an 'Idle No More 2.0″ wave of protests against bill, as have other Indigenous leaders.
CTV News
24 minutes ago
- CTV News
Durham Region bus drivers strike could begin Saturday
A Durham Region Transit bus is seen in this undated photo (Unifor). Bus service in Durham Region will end early on Friday ahead of a potential strike which could begin at the stroke of midnight. Durham Region Transit says that it plans to end scheduled service at 11 p.m. on Friday due to the possible strike by members of Unifor Local 222. However, it says that if Unifor Local 222 members do not walk off the job at 12:01 a.m. on June 7, scheduled service would resume on Saturday. On Wednesday, Unifor Local 222 said that it was awaiting a final offer from Durham Region but 'is not confident it will be enough to deter strike action.' The union has said that its key issue at the bargaining table is wages and bringing them in line with transit workers in Mississauga and Brampton, who it says earn up to $5 per hour more than its members. 'We are fighting tirelessly to close this unjust wage gap and secure a fair contract that recognizes the hard work, dedication and professionalism of DRT members,' Unifor Local 222 President Jeff Gray said in a news release on Wednesday. Unifor Local 222 represents approximately 616 employees, who work as transit operations maintenance workers as well as in dispatch and specialized services at Durham Regional Transit. Durham Region Transit has said that it has been participating in collective bargaining with the union since March 31 but has been unable to negotiate a new agreement. The union says its members voted 98 per cent in favour of strike action on May 21.
National Post
24 minutes ago
- National Post
Two glaring omissions in the Canucks' current marketing campaign
Article content Plenty of people have taken note that Elias Pettersson is prominently absent from the Vancouver Canucks' current ticket sales efforts. Article content There is a Facebook advertisement that caught everyone's eye, for a start. Pettersson is not visible in it. Article content Article content And if you click on the Canucks' season ticket membership website, the video that plays at the top does not feature the visage of the team's best-paid player, just a fan sign that features his number. Article content Is this because he's on the trade block? Maybe. Is it because his image carries too much negative connotations for fans right now? Perhaps also. Article content Either way, what a spot to be in, given where Pettersson's star was 18 months ago, when he was one of the NHL's stars of the month. You can't even market the guy who is supposed to be one of your most marketable stars? Article content That's one thing to note. Article content But there's another face missing from the same imagery that should stand out more — goalie Thatcher Demko. Article content Kevin Lankinen is in the website video. But Demko, still the Canucks' No. 1 guy in the crease, is not. Article content It does make you wonder if Demko is quietly being shopped around. One league source said that trading Demko made sense to them since he is a solid trade chip, even if he is coming off multiple seasons in a row with injuries, and could help bring back the kind of No. 2 centre the Canucks openly covet. Article content Another source said management is looking to 'get rid of the emotionally soft, diva, drama-type, cancerous players, without doing a traditional rebuild.' Article content Article content Line that up as you will. Article content Article content Fans know this dressing room was a mess this past season. There has long been frustration with management and coaches over some aspects of the team culture that they inherited when president Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin took over in 2022. Article content There was too much entitlement, they felt, amongst a group of players that had very little to show for their work to date. Sure, the 2020 bubble playoff run was an impressive thing, but that was all they had in their cap. That was the only playoff run this group had put together to that point. Article content And that's why Allvin in his first end-of-season news conference made note of what he wanted to see from his players in the future. He wanted to see more. He wanted to see a get-it-done attitude. He wanted to see players who focused on the task and got on with the job. Article content There certainly have been rumours that management has been frustrated with how some players have prepared themselves. How they have worked to get back from injury. How they have operated once they have been cleared to return.
