Making connections
Pedestrian bridge connects east, and west sides of old Galt
CAMBRIDGE — Heather Harney walks the paved trail on the west side of the Grand River with her four-year-old granddaughter, Harper Tabares, every day. But on Saturday afternoon, that walk turned festive.
“It’s kind of neat having this cross the river,” said Harney of the brand-spanking-new $2-million pedestrian bridge that officially opened for business amid some happy fanfare — free ice cream for the crowds and roses for the ladies.
The new bridge connects the east and west sides of old Galt.
It creates an interesting and safe place for cyclists, families with children, seniors with walkers ... just about anybody who’s looking for a leisurely stroll from one side of town to the other.
And if a little one bolts, no worries. The bridge has secure iron railings.
Mayor Doug Craig conducted the official ribbon-cutting in front of an enthusiastic audience of about 300, saying Galt has always been a “river city” and it’s time the town celebrated it by making the downtown core on both sides of the river more accessible.
“It’s a short cut,” joked Harney, who grew up in Preston but has lived in downtown Galt for 25 years.
She has seen a lot of changes in the core, not all of it to her liking, but this new bridge has her full approval.
“We walk every day in summer,” she said, noting their route takes them to Melville’s café where they stop for treats to take to the sculpture garden adjacent the bridge’s access point.
The whole tour takes about an hour and with this new bridge, little Harper will be able
to ride her bike back to the other side without too much supervision from Grandma.
“I’d like to see one near GCI (high school) for the kids to get to school,” she said.
The 102-metre walking bridge spans the river from Water Street South to Grand Avenue South.
Construction began last June. Plans also included an investment of about $525,000 to improve the east walkway, which features stairs leading under the bridge almost to the water line.
The rustic looking bridge has a viewing area in the middle, with waist-high glass railings and aluminum top rails, providing clear views of the river and town.
Craig said when the bridge proposal went to the public, there were questions over why the city would build such a thing. But as he pointed out, the downtown core in Galt is rapidly developing and this was one more way to link new developments, such as:
The Hamilton Family Theatre and the new Gaslight District development on the west and on the east side, the $15-million redevelopment of the 1885 post office about to open as a digital library and innovation centre.
Also enjoying the occasion was the Ancient Mariner’s Canoe Club. A couple of dozen canoeists paddled down the river and under the bridge.
The day also celebrated the official dedication of Laura Marotta’s new sculpture “Garden Shelter” in the Cambridge Sculpture Garden on the west side, a beautiful and peaceful grassy space under a historic oak tree.
There are sculptures by six artists as well as three sculptural bee “hotels” in a pollinator garden created by McMaster University art students.
“We’re thrilled the bridge is landing on the doorstep of the sculpture garden,” said Judy Major-Girardin, co-chair of the charitable group that runs it.