Here we go. The next bridgehead looms with the tussle over where to plunk a new span across the Ottawa River.
Everyone agrees we need one. Trucks on Rideau Street and King Edward Avenue are unseemly and cause congestion, not to mention that they’re dangerous. It’s risky dodging 18-wheelers trying to get to the LCBO from the Bytowne Cinema after a good flick.
As a rule, bridges aren’t exciting news items unless they’re in a war. The classic Second World War films The Bridge on the River Kwai and A Bridge Too Far are cases in point.
They do, however, elicit terrific debate. Recall the barbs flung over the proposed Somerset Street pedestrian bridge on the canal. Once it actually existed, the next volley focused on a name.
This is no trifling matter. A generation hence, we don’t want our descendants to roll their eyeballs at a lame moniker like The Somerset Street Pedestrian Bridge Over the Canal. It’s bad enough that multi-millions were spent to accommodate a few dozen pedestrians. There isn’t even a decent coffee stand.
If one day long hence, citizens demand to widen it, I hope mayor Daniel Alfredsson will aggressively forecheck, er, forestall, and have the notion kiboshed (or whatever the Swedish is for kibosh).
As for an Ottawa River bridge, the most attractive location seems to be at Kettle Island, a chunk of wetland across from the Rockcliffe Parkway and Aviation Museum. It’s so named because it doesn’t resemble a kettle. It doesn’t resemble a lot of household items, yet Refrigerator Island didn’t have the same ring.
Right now, Kettle is mostly marsh and sand. Teeming with wildlife and birds, it’s used for tours by the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club. ONEC’s Richard Vincent says recreational rowing shells often travel around the island to show off its natural features.
East-end city councillors Rainer Bloess, Bob Monette and Rob Jellett recently joined forces with east-end MPPs Phil McNeely and Jean-Marc Lalonde to express their support for a Kettle Island bridge. This was logical, especially since such a bridge wouldn’t pass through any of their territories.
“A bridge? Great idea. We’ll even hold the pick axes. Just don’t put it in our wards or ridings.”
You could say this was selfish and reeked of political posturing. You’d be right. Politicians are elected to represent their constituents. Evidently these gentlemen are hearing loud and clear that a bridge at Petrie Island or the Cumberland-Masson ferry crossing would be impractical and too disruptive.
Or they’ve got shares in a secret Kettle Island real estate development.
Meanwhile, I found something curious in city maps from Yellow Pages directories. I keep them in case my street name is changed and I can’t find my way home.
Except for this year’s edition, at least two showed a lightly shaded or dotted line darting across Kettle’s western-most tip. The line began at Gatineau’s Boulevard Maloney, went south along the west side of the Tecumseh golf course, then across the river and Kettle Island before dipping slightly south east to the Rockcliffe Parkway near the RCMP Musical Ride stables.
The line, by the way, has no descriptor in any legend.
The tale darkens. Mr. Vincent says there is what looks like a pier on the northwest side of Kettle Island where the dotted line allegedly traces a mysterious path. He figures the structure may indicate an attempt at a bridge. Or alleged bridge.
If various sites are being given due consideration, how come only Kettle Island is indicated on older maps? And who built the so-called pier? Treasure hunters?
On the other hand, it may all be for naught. Our penchant for studying and consulting ad infinitum means the bridge won’t be built for another 20 years anyway.
A lot could happen between now and then. For instance, Kettle Island could be transformed into a JTF2 commando training base. This wouldn’t preclude construction of a bridge. But it sure would make it Canada’s most secure one.
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. We could consider a pontoon bridge. Military engineers are widely respected for building, in mere days, pontoon bridges to allow military vehicles and their very large bullets to cross waterways.
A moveable bridge. One year at Kettle Island, the next year near the Champlain Bridge. Back to Cumberland-Masson, and so on.
Naturally, it would also need a name. I’d pay to watch politicians from two provinces, two cities and in two languages try to reach a consensus.
Richard Bercuson is an Ottawa teacher and writer.