Funding finally secured to fix Terra Nova Bridge

The final funding needed to repair the Terra Nova Bridge and reconnect the Newfoundland T'Railway into one island-wide span has finally come through, according to the Newfoundland and Labrador Snowmobile Federation.

"We got involved there because we felt it was important," said Ben Fitzgerald, the federation's general manager. 

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The T'Railway Council has been searching for the final $45,000 in order to complete the $650,000 repair job to the bridge, which has been out of commission since Dec. 2015 when it was deemed structurally unsound.

With the bridge out of service, T'Railway users — many of them ATVers — haven't been able to cross the area, and T'Railway executives have been speaking out as late as Monday about their financial desperation.

But Monday also marked the day the snowmobile federation's efforts to come up with the cash were finalized.

"It's a collaborative effort of multiple partners, to make the effort to get us over the hump and get the monies necessary," Fitzgerald said, adding the repairs should begin in four to six weeks, "if the stars align."

'Tough financial times'

Fitzgerald said the federation was asked back in May to help with the repairs, and he and other staff began making some fundraising phone calls.

$20,000 was secured through the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicle Distributors Council, a national trade group that represents ATV and snowmobile interests and companies, with another portion of the money coming from the federation itself, according to Fitzgerald.

"In tough financial times, we have to be able to knock on multiple doors and reach out to multiple partners," he told CBC Radio's Central Morning Show.

Fitzgerald said there has been some confusion as to what group was fundraising where, and he hopes in the future the various trail, snowmobile and ATV groups in the province will be able to band together better in times of need.

"I think it's important that we use this as an opportunity to have a collaborative committee going forward, where we're all on the same page," he said.

"Our trail improves from there, if everyone's on the same page as well."