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Swing bridge looms as FWFN swears in chief and council

Fort William First Nation officially welcomes chief and council with addressing the ongoing James Street Swing Bridge impasse a top priority.

FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION – Heading into his eighth term as chief, Peter Collins believes it’s up to Fort William First Nation to lead the push to restore a direct connection between the community and Thunder Bay.

Collins, who was officially sworn in along with his council colleagues at the Monday evening ceremony, said he has a lack of faith in the ongoing legal saga over the James Street Swing Bridge between the city and CN Rail, which owns the century-old bridge.

The bridge over the Kaministiquia River has been closed to vehicular traffic since a fire broke out on the northern approach span on the night of Oct. 29, 2013. A fire marshal’s report found the cause of the blaze to be undetermined.

The matter is now in the hands of Superior Court Justice George Smith after three days of legal proceedings last month.

“At the end of the day, who knows what the court system is going to do to us,” Collins said. “Who are they going to rule in favour of, the city or CN? Does it matter? The city is going to say they don’t own the bridge. CN, if they lose, they’re going to appeal the decision. We’re no further ahead once the ruling does come anyway.”

The ongoing impasse has resulted in significant frustrations from Fort William First Nation residents, who have voiced safety concerns after being forced to travel on Highway 61 to get between their community and the city.

Earlier this month Collins talked publicly about efforts to partner with both the provincial and federal governments to work toward a new $25 million structure.

But the chief isn’t ready to close the book on the existing bridge.

“There’s still hope for it,” Collins said. “If we can revitalize it to today’s standards, we’re going to look at that option too. But at the end of the day, I think it makes more sense to build a brand new bridge.”

Collins, who was first elected chief in 1998 and served continuously with the exception of the 2013-2015 term when he did not seek re-election, said other priorities for this council include overhauling their constitution, developing a new election code and resolving a taxation authority conflict with the city.

Another focus will be continuing to develop education and health initiatives. Collins said council will be looking to build on an adult education program started last year where about 30 community members, who Collins said were mostly in their 30s, participated and received upgrading.

“Education, it’s everybody. You need to have a Grade 12 to get a job nowadays and we’re hoping each and every one of them will accomplish that,” Collins said.

“We can help and we want to help. Education goes a long way in creating a job opportunity and they can help mentor their family in the future.”

The chief said while not every area might not be completed before community members head back to the polls in 2019 but is optimistic progress will be made.

“In a two-year timeframe we will accomplish a lot of those things but at the end of the day they’ll be ready for next term,” Collins said.



About the Author: Matt Vis

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