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CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Kingston causeway workers get severance pay nearly a year after bridge torn down
Social Sharing After months of waiting, workers who operated the LaSalle Causeway lift bridge in Kingston, Ont., have finally received their severance. It comes nearly a year after the century-old crossing was demolished following what was supposed to be a repair job, but instead ended with the entire structure being scrapped. "I'm glad it's over. It's a chapter in my life I don't have to worry about again," said Doug Stewart, who worked as a bridge operator for about a year-and-a-half before it was torn down. Stewart, along with bridge master Tom Vilneff, was among the three causeway workers laid off at the end of January. Their collective agreement said they should have received the thousands they were owed within 30 days, but as the weeks added up without any pay, their savings began to take a beating, the men told CBC in a story published May 6. The next day, they heard from the pay centre for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the federal department responsible for the bridge. In a phone interview on Wednesday, Stewart described the update from PSPC as a "relief." "It was three months before I got any any action out of the PSPC, and it was only the day after the CBC story ran about that I saw any real action," he explained. Vilneff confirmed he has also since received a compensation package and severance pay. CBC has not been able to confirm whether the third worker received their severance. PSPC did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent Wednesday morning. In a statement back in May, the department said it was aware of "issues faced by its former employees" and was working to resolve them as quickly as possible. At the time, a spokesperson also said that in the previous fiscal year, 89 per cent of its severance cases were processed within 30 days. Grievance filed over financial distress The crossing connects downtown to the city's eastern suburbs and was known as the "singing bridge" for the sound made by the tires of thousands of commuters who crossed it every day. A temporary span is currently in its place. Stewart said he's filed a grievance with PSPC about the severance not being paid in a timely fashion, causing financial distress for his family. "I'm not really after any extra money out of them," he said "I'm just [sending a] 'do better next time' note to my government." Stewart has since found work as a tour guide around the city and said he's happy to have a new way to share his knowledge and show his appreciation for Kingston's history. Still, the former bridge operator said he remains frustrated by how both the crossing and his career there were discarded, adding the way the workers were treated showed a "lack of respect." "It was sort of, 'OK you're done, now off you go.' We weren't responsible for the catastrophes that happened to that bridge," he said. "And I still miss it. I miss the sound of it."
CTV News
04-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Here are all the days the LaSalle Causeway's temporary bridge will be removed this summer and fall
The marine opening on the LaSalle Causeway with the temporary modular bridge removed. (Public Services and Procurement Canada/YouTube) Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has identified 21 days this summer and fall during which the temporary bridge on the LaSalle Causeway will be removed to allow marine traffic to pass. The causeway is a main traffic link between Kingston's downtown and east end, but its former bascule bridge was damaged last year and could not be repaired. The bridge was removed and replaced by a temporary modular bridge, which is expected to remain in place until the construction of the permanent replacement bridge begins. The modular bridge must be periodically removed to allow ships to pass the crossing that connects the Cataraqui and St. Lawrence rivers. The LaSalle Causeway is the southern terminus of the Rideau Canal system that connects the St. Lawrence with the Ottawa River. The 2025 navigation season on the Rideau Canal runs until Oct. 13. PSPC says the LaSalle Causeway will be fully closed to vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians to allow for the temporary opening of the main marine navigation channel during the following periods: Sunday, June 8, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 15, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 22, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 29, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, July 6, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, July 13, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, July 20, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, July 27, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. 'During these periods, the removal of the modular bridge will begin at 6 a.m., with the marine channel expected to be open by 9 a.m. From June 8 to Sept. 7, the marine channel will be closed at 7 p.m. to reinstall the bridge, with the causeway expected to reopen to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians by 10 p.m,' PSPC says. 'From Sept. 21 to Nov. 16, the marine channel will be closed at 5 p.m. to reinstall the bridge, while the causeway is expected to reopen by 8 p.m.' Boaters are encouraged to cross the causeway as early as possible during the opening window as reinstallation of the modular bridge may need to be done sooner depending on marine conditions. A timeline for the construction of a permanent replacement bridge on the LaSalle Causeway has yet to be confirmed.
