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.
"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."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.