THUNDER BAY – The James Street Swing Bridge could be reopened to vehicular traffic in less than three months if the city and CN Rail can move past the original 1906 agreement, says Fort William First Nation Chief Peter Collins.
But Collins, who earlier this month said the bridge could be accessible as soon as this summer, on Tuesday was less optimistic common ground will be found any time soon.
“Until we have the final agreement in place, I don’t know if that’s doable now,” Collins said, adding he has received indications from the company Fort William is working with that it would take between eight to 10 weeks to install the structures and have them operational.
“There are still some issues that need to be resolved. We thought we were making that headway and moving in the right direction but if things happen and things transpire as quickly as we’d like them to happen, June or July is still realistic.”
The bridge, which connects Thunder Bay to the Fort William First Nation across the Kaministiquia River, has been closed to vehicular traffic since a fire broke out on the northern approach spans on the night of Oct. 29, 2013.
The future of the structure has been the subject of legal wrangling, with CN emerging victorious last year when an Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge ruled the city could not force the railway to reopen the bridge to vehicular traffic.
The city turned to the Ontario Court of Appeal, with the case heard earlier this year. The three-judge panel has reserved its decision, with the expectation that it would be delivered in two to four months from the January hearing date.
Collins admitted to being frustrated and said the ongoing legal stalemate has impeded efforts to find a long-term solution, with both sides indicating openness to separately discuss the proposal but ultimately unwilling to compromise while the matter is still before the courts.
“It seems like neither one of them wants to lose,” Collins said. “I said to them, ‘neither of you are losing right now, we are.’ We continue to lose 113 years later after the taking of our land. How is that justifiable? I put that on the table to both parties.”
The chief had previously publicly discussed the potential of building a new $25 million bridge, while using Bailey bridges across the existing span as a short-term fix. He has since learned that option is estimated to have a 75-year life span, though it would require CN approval.
“Our intention was we build a Bailey bridge, slide them over the cantilevers. They wouldn’t use the cantilevers as support,” Collins said. “They would sit like they would sit on a normal river for a free span. To me and to us at Fort William, it made sense to doing it that way.”
The city issued a news release on Tuesday, declaring support for efforts by Fort William First Nation and expressing an openness to working with all parties to find a solution.
City manager Norm Gale indicated the city maintains its position that CN is responsible to reopen the bridge.
“City council is resolved in their determination that CN will reopen the James Street bridge and maintain that bridge in perpetuity,” Gale said. “CN is lawfully obligated to do so and city council intends to see that through.”
