No timelines have been given as repairs continue on two Parks Canada swing bridges in villages in the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ont.
On Tuesday, Parks Canada said there remains no date to reopen the swing bridges in either Bobcaygeon or Bolsover.
In Bobcaygeon, the swing bridge over Lock 32 of the Trent-Severn Waterway (TSW) has been closed for construction since November 2020.
Plagued by delays, including the COVID-19 pandemic and structural challenges, the project is reconstructing the bridge, which was built in 1921 and is in the heart of the village.
According to Nicole Weber, a Parks Canada senior engineer for Ontario waterways, crews are making progress but a reopening date has not been set.
“Last week we placed concrete on the abutment cap, which is the final piece to allow the bridge to swing close and open,” she said. “Final testing is underway.”
Businesses in the area say they’ve been impacted by the bridge closure as fewer boaters are travelling the lock system in the area north of Lindsay.
Adam Matthews, owner of 72 Bolton sports cafe, says he and other business owners continue to seek answers on a reopening.
“We have seen businesses closed on the main street, which hasn’t happened in decades in Bobcaygeon,” he said. “So it’s a true tell that the bridge is affecting business and it’s going to have a long-term effect on this town.”
Bolsover bridge
Forty-five minutes northwest in Bolsover, the Boundary Road swing bridge near TSW Lock 37 has been closed and removed since January 2021. The closure removed access to the village via Simcoe Street.
Parks Canada noted in October 2021, the project was first halted after an initial contractor “failed to finish the bridge within the required timeframe.”
Then a second construction shutdown occurred in November 2022 following “limited response” on contractor bids, including one bid that was “exceeding available project funding,” according to Parks Canada.
Weber says the search for a new contractor to do the work continues.
“That’s where we are at and the project remains on hold as we consider our options moving forward,” she said.
That’s not sitting well with some residents, including June Wilson, who lives across from the waterway. She believes the construction delay impacted emergency crews’ response for her husband, who died following a heart attack.
“They (ambulance) were right on the other side of the bridge, but the bridge was out and they had to go around,” she said. “By the time they got around, it was too late.”
Resident Robert Amour says the bridge is the primary artery for the community and its businesses and first responders. He says the delays have dragged on too long.
“Come on, where is the prime minster? Where is the minster of environment and climate change? Look after your own country, Minster (Stephen) Guilbeault. This is completely ridiculous.”
Added resident Rory Freedman: “They are completely ignoring our community.”
Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock MP Jamie Schmale says he understands the concerns from residents in both communities.
“We need to ensure that if Parks Canada can’t do this job, then we bring in a ministry that can,” he said.
— with files from Tricia Mason/Global News Peterborough
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