Planes to bring cargo, people to remote Quebec region after bridge closure cuts it off
An air bridge has been established to connect Minganie, a region on Quebec's North Shore, to the rest of the province after a bridge closure blocked the only road leading there.
Two planes will be travelling to the region, a nine-seater passenger aircraft to transport people, free of charge, in and out of the region, and a Boeing 737, to transport cargo.
Both planes will make two trips per day between Sept-Îles, west of the bridge, and Havre-Saint-Pierre, to the east.
The Transport Ministry said it will try to find a larger plane in the coming days, but for now, only those who need transport will be offered a seat.
"We will have to prioritize needs, especially those to do with health," said spokesperson Sarah Gaudreault. "This isn't for hair appointments."
The minister responsible for the North Shore region, Kateri Champagne Jourdain, said some municipalities are offering emergency shelter to people stranded by the shutdown.
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The ministry told reporters Wednesday morning that the Touzel Bridge, which runs over the Rivière Sheldrake, connecting part of the North Shore to the rest of Quebec, had to be closed because a crack was discovered in the concrete during an annual inspection Tuesday.
Villages and towns east of the bridge were instantly cut off from Quebec's road network. It was suddenly no longer possible to truck in supplies like groceries and gasoline. There was concern that medical care could be jeopardized.
Darlene Rowsell Roberts, the administrator of the Côte-Nord-du-Golfe-Saint-Laurent municipality, said locals continue to lack firm details about how long the bridge will be closed.
The ministry is still analyzing the structure and is expected to provide more details on how long the closure will last in the coming days.
"We're so vulnerable in terms of transportation," said Rowsell Roberts. "This is our daily reality."
