Efforts to save Creemore bridge fail

By Michael Gennings Stayner Sun

Creemore residents desperate to save the historic Collingwood Street Bridge made no headway with Clearview council Monday night.

Collingwood Street Bridge Committee spokesperson Barry Burton and fellow committee members asked council to reconsider its decision to support Simcoe County’s plans to replace the 100-year-old bridge, which crosses the Mad River.

Fans of the single-lane steel truss bridge, built a century ago by nearby Brentwood resident J.J. Dummond,  want to see it declared a heritage property and restored. They say it is one of the few remaining steel riveted bridges in Ontario.

Councillor Thom Paterson put forward a motion directing “staff in consultation with the County of Simcoe to work with the Collingwood Street Bridge Committee to review in detail the request made to designate the [bridge] as a culturally significant heritage property and to report to council its recommendations.”

But the motion was defeated 5-3. In support of the motion was Paterson, Deputy Mayor Alicia Savage and Councillor Shawn Davidson. Against it was Mayor Ken Ferguson, Councillor Robert Walker, Councillor Deb Bronee, Councillor Orville Brown and Councillor Doug Measures.

The outcome was met with vocal objections from residents seated in the gallery.

But Ferguson said Monday night the county has worked hard to find a solution that meets all needs, noting the county, under direction from the province, aims to incorporate the trusses of the old bridge into the new structure.

He said what the county has planned is a better bridge that will meet the community’s needs for years to come.

But Deputy Mayor Savage, echoing remarks made by residents who spoke earlier in the evening, said there is no reason to hurry on the bridge issue. She said it doesn’t hurt to look at other options.

Simcoe County has budgeted $2.28 million to build a modern, two-lane concrete overpass, with construction starting in 2016.

Burton and other committee members – some have extensive bridge building experience elsewhere in Ontario and North America – say the bridge can be refurbished for about a $1 million less.

He noted Monday night that Simcoe-Grey MP Kellie Leitch and Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson support saving the bridge.

But county officials have said refurbishing it would still leave a single-lane bridge in place.

The county says the bridge currently has a load restriction of five tonnes in place and that as a result many commercial, agricultural, emergency and maintenance vehicles can’t use the bridge – issues that would be addressed with a new bridge.

County officials also say a sidewalk will be incorporated into the new bridge.

However, bridge committee officials argue the bridge can be restored so that heavier vehicles can use it and so that there is a pedestrian walkway.