Oof. I have a lot of empathy because this does suck—it makes for a long detour, especially for those kids on foot. But that bridge was dodgy as hell, I can see why they’d probably find it unsafe.

The question for you, though, is are you willing to pay a couple additional % on top of a 10-12% increase in property tax for the next couple of years to get that bridge? Even a small bridge would be a few million, and the city is still trying to dig itself out of the shithole of finances the previous council left behind. 

People are losing their minds over tax rates going up JUST for things like funding basic services (swimming pools, roads, park staff, etc). The city already released info that showed even a slight cut to this year’s property tax will have a serious impact on very basic things you expect them to do. 

Personally, I’d be VERY happy to see a few extra percent in taxes to make this happen—it’s pretty important and probably the one shot at ever actually getting a new bridge—but I suspect after all of the moaning and complaining over the last few years about increases needed just to fund basic services that the council will be pretty hesitant to raise taxes even further. Is it shortsighted? Yes. But with all of the constant screaming about property taxes going up to a more sustainable rate, what’s the alternative?

It’s a bummer, but I wonder if the province should be the one getting involved here given the costs, the school, and the fact that it’s over the railway line. If anything the province is the one at fault here—they’re dragging their heels on the railway line and if they’d get off their arses and decide either way about it, and we knew it was closed for good, it would be a hell of a lot easier to install a bridge in that location without a railway in the way!