North Hatley, Que., bridge project splits town in half, hurts business

In the idyllic small town of North Hatley, in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, locals say construction is keeping people apart and potential customers away.

One month after the dismantling and reconstruction of the North Hatley bridge began, local businesses and citizens are struggling, to bring in customers, to get around, and to bear the constant noise.

“When they do the pounding of the pipes it’s particularly unpleasant,” said Danielle Dupre, the owner of the Serendipity B & B, located across the street from the bridge.

Dupre said she had to warn potential customers about the construction before they came. Some chose to cancel; others came anyway.

“I called them up and tell them, ‘If you leave for the day, if you do activities, you are OK because usually at night it’s not so bad. But if you intend to spend the whole day here, then you are not going to enjoy yourself,'” Dupre said.

The province is spending about $5 million to rebuild the 75-year-old bridge. The government delayed the start of the project until Aug. 3, so the town could enjoy some semblance of a tourist season. Now, the contractor has extended work hours, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week, and they are allowed to work on weekends.

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And the work has literally split the town in two. A footbridge allows for pedestrians and cyclists to cross to the west side of the town, but to drive — it’s a 20-kilometre detour.

Some local businesses say they are feeling the impact.

“It’s tough. Some of my employees, I had to lay off,” said Steven Piercy, the owner of the North Hatley marina.

Piercy’s marina services the boats owned by locals in addition to renting out boats and water pleasure equipment like kayaks and paddleboards. He says boats are often restricted and unable to pass through the construction zone, making it almost impossible to access the lake from his riverside marina. He said the last month was very difficult for his business.

‘Very bad. Very bad. There is no traffic, there is no thru traffic. I own the garage and there is no one getting gas. People who rent out businesses in the building, there is nobody,” he said.

More than travel or financial difficulties, locals also have safety concerns. They worry about the length of time it takes for the police to get to the other side of North Hatley from Magog.

Lifelong resident Janet Price said she called 9-1-1 this week, and it took 40 minutes for police to arrive.

“It was a concern for me that night, because I live alone and there was a man lurking around my house around midnight,” she said. “So it was a little unnerving to wait that much longer for them to come.”

The town’s mayor says he’s heard almost no complaints about local services. He says most residents are understanding, the work was needed.

‘We have to live it once in our lifetime. It is what it is. At least we will have a safe bridge to drive over,” said Mayor Michael Page.

A spokesman for the ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) said the first phase of the bridge is expected to be finished by Christmas. While drivers should be able to cross by then, the work won’t be entirely completed until sometime in 2021. Dominique Gosselin said when paving happens in the spring, there could be further closures. She also said the department can’t guarantee there won’t be any delays.

“We would like to open the structure this year. But there could be delays, because of weather. I can’t guarantee 100 per cent but … the intention is to open the structure at the end of the year,” said Gosselin said.