Brilliant suspension bridge committee proposes to council

     Lynsey Franks, News Editor

A project has been proposed once again to the city in hopes to see the Brilliant bridge restored.

Lawrence Makortoff of the Brilliant Bridge Restoration Committee has recently approached the Mayor and City Council with documents outlining the restoration of the suspension bridge.

In recent years, the proposal has been havocked with ownership issues, and seems to be an ongoing setback for those in favour of urging the project forward.

The bridge is currently owned by the Ministry of Transportation, but no work can be done without the cooperation, approval and financial support of the city.

"I guess we need to revisit the subject to find out what ownership really means," said Mayor Lawrence Chernoff. "I don't really understand what it means for the City to take ownership."

Makortoff says the historic bridge that has existed since 1913 is an important piece of Castlegar’s history, and by restoring the site would allow tourists and residents to enjoy a bit of culture.

Restoration work started in 1991 where a lot of work went into reconditioning the design and decking of the bridge. A great deal of the pre-work was done for the restoration back then, although several setbacks have been encountered since then.

Previously, the city has declined becoming a part of the restoration project because of high costs for the work that would be required due to it’s capacity.

Council is currently sitting on the recent proposal, but according to Makortoff, the Brilliant Bridge Restoration Committee would like to see a final decision by early next year.

"Factors are favourable for the project to proceed again now," said Makortoff. "The cost is lower and money is available from the provincial government, we're asking the city to contribute what they can," he added.

The Brilliant Bridge Restoration Committee would like to see the city share ownership of the bridge, and get the ball rolling on completing the restoration. With the recent package of information presented to the city, it is now up to the Mayor and council members to decide. Many feel that the Brilliant bridge is part of Castlegar’s heritage, as well as a tourist attraction, but the cost, labour and commitment is another issue.

"With all of the City’s other priorities, and if we look at the cost outright, the City’s share is 75 per cent, and theirs is 25 per cent, a fairly high cost for us," said Chernoff.

The restoration committee is hoping the work will begin by March 2007 at the latest, with a hope that full restoration will be complete by the end of the year.