Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha was left hanging in trying to elicit a date from the Ford government on when construction of a replacement for the Manitoulin Island swing bridge will take place.
“Minister, all we want is a date?” said Mantha to provincial transportation minister Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria during Question Period at Queen’s Park, Nov. 5.
“When will the new Little Current Swing Bridge be built?”
Mantha was seeking a construction start date, a project timeline, and how much of an investment the province will be making in this new piece of critical infrastructure. The provincial government committed to building a replacement in 2023.
The swing bridge is the only year-round link to the island. Situated at Little Current, it’s widely acknowledged that the 111-year-old span has long outlived its operating life.
Mantha said several unexpected mechanical failures over the summer are leaving island residents stranded and unable to get to medical appointments and work on time and negatively impacts tourism and business attraction. Often times, he said the Ministry of Transportation hasn't been forthcoming on what's causing these delays and there have more closures to do maintenance and repairs.
Without providing a start date, Sarkaria responded with a general commitment from the province on the swing bridge replacement, noting it was a highlighted item in the provincial budget last April and is part the $28-billion, 10-year plan to build and renew transportation infrastructure across Ontario.
“We’ll work through the process to make sure we get construction underway as soon as we can.”
Sarkaria gave no indication on where the project is in the planning, design and environmental assessment process..
When it comes to critical infrastructure, Mantha said people in rural and northern communities “shouldn’t be left in limbo,” adding that the province’s lack of information and transparency has islanders wondering if this project is being taken seriously by government.
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