Fishermen voted to remove this small P.E.I. bridge for safety reasons, but many want it to stay

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

There's a statement happening successful a tiny northeastern P.E.I. assemblage astir the aboriginal of a century-old span that immoderate accidental is simply a information risk, but others see a portion of past that should beryllium preserved.  

A slim bulk of fishermen successful Naufrage precocious voted successful favour of removing the 15-metre woody Bailey span that spans the narrow channel into the community's harbour. 

Nathan Cheverie, a fisherman and president of the Naufrage Harbour Authority, said the span is excessively debased for larger modern sportfishing boats to walk nether erstwhile determination are larger swells.  

"It's a debased clearance erstwhile we're trying to get successful and retired of the harbour and it causes issues passim the season," Cheverie said. "We haven't seen a large catastrophe…. [But] it's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure."

Meanwhile, hundreds of radical person signed an online petition that argues replacing the old bridge with a new, higher operation is the mode to go. 

"This span is much than conscionable a operation — it's a portion of our history, our economy, and our mode of life," a preamble to the petition stated. "It is besides the past remaining crossing of the Old Queen's Road, an important portion of Prince Edward Island's heritage.

"Removing it would sever a historical and indispensable transportation that has existed for generations." 

Wayne MacDonald, who fished retired of Naufrage Harbour for galore years, said helium worries removing the span altogether could wounded tourism to the area. 

The harbour and adjacent formation pull tons of visitors to during the summer, helium said, truthful helium thinks the span should beryllium replaced and raised. 

WATCH | Fate of span is simply a burning contented successful P.E.I.'s Naufrage Harbour:

"If you wanted thing connected the different side, you'd person to spell each the mode around, which is beauteous inconvenient," MacDonald said. 

"I'd similar to spot a caller 1 enactment in, raised up 4 feet oregon five, immoderate they need, which should beryllium convenient for everybody." 

According to directions connected Google Maps, the driving clip from 1 broadside of the harbour to the different utilizing Route 16 is astir six minutes. 

Not considered essential

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, oregon DFO, is liable for maintaining bridges and different infrastructure in small trade harbours.  

After the Naufrage span was damaged by post-tropical tempest Fiona, DFO made repairs successful the outpouring of 2023 to support it operational. 

In a connection to CBC News, the bureau said the Naufrage span is not considered indispensable to the community's commercialized fishery operations. 

"There are presently nary plans to region the bridge," the DFO connection reads. "However, fixed the aging infrastructure, its removal volition yet beryllium required if it is deemed unsafe for usage oregon is damaged successful aboriginal storms." 

The harbour authorization is seeking backing to person the span removed, successful the aftermath of the fishermen's vote. Cheverie said the expected lifespan of the span volition beryllium up successful astir 10 years.

Jerry MacDonald said helium tin spot however the existent authorities of the span mightiness beryllium unsafe for boats going successful and retired of the harbour. But helium yet thinks it should beryllium replaced and raised alternatively of removed. 

"The span is precise important to the community. It's been present forever," helium said. "I tin recognize some sides, large time. They request a caller bridge, bottommost line."