New and improved French River snowmobile bridge reopens

Officials were all smiles in French River, south of Sudbury, on Friday as they cut the ribbon on a project that's been a couple of years in the making.Ribbon cutting for the Ronald J. MacGillivray Bridge for snowmobiles in French River. Jan. 20/23 (Ian Campbell/CTV Northern Ontario)The Ronald J. MacGillivray Bridge, for snowmobiles, officially re-opened over the Pickerel River connecting northern and southern Ontario.

"It's fantastic. It's such a great day that we're finally able to reopen the bridge," said French River Mayor Gisèle Pageau.

"It's been closed for a few years because it needed major repairs and funding was difficult to get, and this bridge is extremely important because it links the south to the north."

The bridge had to have some struts repaired along with some of the rotten boards. It also had to be lifted and extended out from the shoreline.

Officials with the French River Snowmobiling Association said the work was made possible through grants from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.

"It's certainly been missed," said snowmobile association president Denis Prevost.

"Just in our club, we have 410 members, approximately. It's a lot of machines for our area, but it does attract a lot of people from southern Ontario because they have less snow and they want to come across."

Prevost anticipates the bridge is likely to attract thousands of people when it's up and running. He said people actually come just to cross the bridge itself and take pictures.

While the area is known for its cottages and camping during the summer months, winter tourism and snowmobiling in particular are important to the local economy.

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"We're just so happy to be able to reopen and get the safest way possible to cross the Pickerel River," said Prevost.

He said last winter, snowmobilers had to use a trail that brought them close to the highway.

"It's a great attraction and we're hoping a lot of people will come visit us," Pageau said.

The Ronald J. MacGillivray Memorial Bridge in French River. Jan. 20/23 (Ian Campbell/CTV Northern Ontario)

Getting the bridge would not have been possible without the work of its volunteers.

It's something that Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas was quick to point out, saying she and her husband regularly ride their machines and the bridge is on their list to do soon.

"This has been a long time coming," Gélinas said.

"Those volunteers work so hard. They were able to access a little bit of money … and then they worked really hard throughout the whole summer to get this bridge to be fixed."

She said it is a beautiful loop for anyone who likes to snowmobile.

"It's just a unique feature. People come here to cross it and take a picture, it's one of a kind in the province," said Jason Miller of the Near North Trail Association.

"Winter tourism is critical to northern Ontario, French River included. It brings people from down south, they come, they ride, they stay, eat and spend money and they enjoy themselves because they're back to nature. The French River area is unique landscape as opposed to other areas, so it just adds to the riders' experience."