Locksmith wants to return High Level Bridge 'love locks' to owners
A local locksmith is coming to the aid of Edmonton couples who have attached locks to the rails of the High Level Bridge as a declaration of eternal love.
Safety concerns have led the city to remove the locks so Martin Badke decided to step in before they end up as pieces of scrap metal. One lock commemorating a couple's 25th wedding anniversary inspired him to take action.
"The romantic part of me said, ‘I’m a locksmith. I can do something for these people.”
While "love locks" are charming and romantic, the weight can be a safety hazard. Earlier this year, a build-up of thousands of locks caused a partial collapse of the famous Pontdes Arts bridge in Paris.
Edmonton officials are also concerned that the locks will interfere with maintenance of the High Level Bridge and fall onto boaters on the North Saskatchewan River.
While Badke acknowledges the city's concerns are legitimate, he still wants to come to the rescue of true love.
He is taking pictures of the locks and posting them on a Facebook page with the aim of reuniting them with their owners.
Badke wants to build a sculpture near the bridge that local lovebirds can use instead.
"The project is to build a separate sculptural installation, that looks like bridge, so you have the look and feel of locking your love lock on a bridge and throwing away the key,” he said.
Badke isn’t sure what his sculpture will look like but he plans to approach the city with his idea.
