Chief William Commanda pedestrian bridge now open
It fills a 4-kilometre gap between Ottawa River crossings
The new pedestrian bridge just west of Ottawa and Gatineau's cores opened Friday.
The Chief William Commanda Bridge fills an Ottawa River crossing gap of about four kilometres between the Portage and Champlain bridges and connects pathways near Bayview station in Ottawa and the southern tip of Gatineau Park on the other side.
City councillors voted in July 2021 to rehabilitate the former train crossing and change the name from the Prince of Wales Bridge as an act of reconciliation.
William Commanda was an Algonquin elder who served as chief of Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg First Nation, founded a peace organization called Circle of Nations, met with the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela and was awarded the Order of Canada.
Once slated for fall 2022, the bridge opening was delayed, with the city citing labour shortages and supply chain issues.
The city bought the bridge from Canadian Pacific Railway in 2005. In the following years, it became a popular (and illegal) hangout spot, including drownings of people who jumped off to swim. Various types of fences had been set up to block it with varying degrees of success.
In 2021, the cost of turning into a pedestrian bridge was $22.6 million.
The city said in a news release there is still some ongoing work underneath the bridge, but the project's engineers have said it's good to open. Some temporary closures may be necessary in the future to finish up, it said.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said an official bridge opening will happen next month.
