Ferry owners resurrect idea of east-end bridge
The family that runs ferry service between the eastern parts of Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., is again trying to build support for a bridge over the Ottawa River.
Maurice Bourbonnais said his family would pay for the toll bridge connecting Cumberland and Masson-Angers, pitching it as a more convenient and environmentally-friendly way of traversing the river — and also one that would save them on fuel costs in the long run.
"Ferries are good. They offer a good service. But with a bridge, you don't have to use up ferry fuel," Bourbonnais said in a French-language interview.
The toll would be the same as the current cost of a ferry crossing, he added.
Idea pitched 15 years ago
In 2003, the Bourbonnais family commissioned a study of a $32-million toll bridge. The idea was ultimately turned down by the National Capital Commission in 2007, following a study of its own.
The NCC later floated three potential bridge sites closer to downtown before scrapping its plans in 2013.
Not in city plans
Marc Carrière, the councillor for Gatineau's Masson-Angers sector, said the existing ferry service — which runs about every five to 10 minutes, 24 hours a day — works well.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson said in a statement a bridge there isn't in the city's transportation plans, as it's trying to reduce congestion and the number of vehicles on the road.
Both Watson and Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said the two cities are also working on better public transit links between the two cities, including planned light rail connections.
With files from Martin Robert
