Prince of Wales rail bridge to be re-sealed off after swarmings

A city councillor is asking the city to repair a fence blocking access to the abandoned Prince of Wales rail bridge and to put up bigger no-trespassing signs after two recent swarmings.

The reports indicate up to six suspects fled towards Gatineau after the attacks. There are only vague descriptions of the suspects, said Ottawa police robbery unit Staff Sgt. Mike Haarbosch.

The first incident happened on Aug. 21 at about 11:55 p.m.

The second incident happened on Aug. 23 at about 12:30 a.m. The victim told police they were forced to give up a satchel with contents that included a phone and wallet, among other things. Something resembling a handgun was seen but the victim believed it was a replica.

Ottawa police continue to investigate.

'It's a popular destination'

Coun. Jeff Leiper said the city doesn't currently have the money to make the bridge into a pedestrian crossing, but that it remains a long-term plan. 

In the meantime, Leiper said that for safety reasons he's asking city staff to repair the broken fence that's currently allowing trespassers easy access to the bridge, and to install more visible signage to deter them.

"It's a popular destination for people. They swim off the bridge; they use it as a quick pedestrian access to Gatineau; I saw a picture recently of a couple who had dinner on the bridge and made it a social media event; I'm aware of a local band recently who shot a video up there; it's a really attractive bridge," Leiper said Friday.

"I think any sort of extraordinary efforts to try to make it 100-per-cent trespass-proof are bound to fail in the long run. So it's up to us as a city to ensure that there are some reasonable measures in place, but I'm not sure that I would suggest to the city that it take any really extraordinary measures to try to guarantee that no one can get on there."

Plans afoot for 135-year-old bridge

The City of Ottawa has long contemplated redeveloping the 135-year-old rail bridge.

An online advertisement seeking qualified engineers was posted prematurely in February of this year, CBC News previously reported.

The bridge, which the City of Ottawa purchased in 2006, is still technically considered an active railway even though it has been years since a train has crossed it, transit expert David Jeanes said last winter.

The bridge has been included in the city's long-term Transportation Master Plan as a potential rail link to Gatineau and in the 2013 Ottawa Cycling Plan as a multi-use path network.

One firm called Moose Inc. has also shared its plan to create and operate a 400-kilometre passenger rail network in the Ottawa region and hopes to include the Prince of Wales Bridge.

The bridge also falls under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Transportation Agency because it is an interprovincial crossing.