Pop-up picnic on Prince of Wales Bridge curtailed by police
Cyclists and pedestrians have used bridge for years despite 'No Trespassing' signs
Plans for a pop-up picnic on the Prince of Wales Bridge last night were interrupted with police officers from both sides of the Ottawa River there to issue a reminder that the popular spot is off limits.
Officers limited picnic-goers to the portion of the track leading up to the bridge on the Ottawa side, even though it's still technically trespassing. Ottawa police said Gatineau officers were helping block people on the Quebec side.
The former rail bridge linking Ottawa and Gatineau has been used by cyclists and pedestrians as a commuter route or a scenic date night for years despite the "No Trespassing" signs. The last train crossed the bridge 15 years ago.
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The City of Ottawa bought the bridge in 2006 from Canadian Pacific with plans to use it for a potential extension of the O-Train or a multi-use path to Gatineau. But with an estimated price tag of more than $10 million to convert it to a cycling and pedestrian path, and up to $40 million to convert it for transit use, the City of Ottawa has prioritized other projects.
Recent news that the City of Ottawa was considering spending up to $300,000 to install four large gates on the various entrances to the bridge on the mainland and Lemieux Island to keep trespassers out over concerns of liability has renewed a call to convert the bridge.
The picnic gathering was meant to promote an online petition to put pressure on Ottawa, Gatineau and the National Capital Commission to recognize the bridge as a "capital gem" that should be accessible to the public.
People here collecting ideas on how to make bridge useable for pedestrians and cyclists. <a href="https://t.co/71k6IdHp0l">pic.twitter.com/71k6IdHp0l</a>
—@OmarCBCAileen Duncan, who helped organize the picnic on the bridge, said the event was also an opportunity to discuss options for the space moving forward.
"We are here to celebrate the potential of this space," she said. "I see this as a potential connector between Ottawa and Gatineau."
"It's a great place to watch the fireworks or do some bird watching. Just hanging out with my best friends, just watching the stars, just connecting with each other."
Duncan said she believes the biggest barrier to creating a "beautiful urban park" on the bridge is lack of leadership in figuring out how to co-finance the project. That's why she and others have launched the "Ottawa Rail Bridge Project" to crowdfund the conversion and lead consultations on how to make the project a reality.