'It's definitely on!': Chatham to celebrate bridge reopening despite still being closed
A celebration of the Third Street Bridge reopening in downtown Chatham is still taking place Saturday despite the bridge still being closed to traffic and pedestrians.
“Bridgerama Day 2022” is being hosted by the Historic Downtown Chatham BIA and was meant to celebrate the end of reconstruction that has lasted well over a year.
“If it opens a month from now, it's still a celebration of the opening of the bridge,” said organizer Clair Culliford.
“People heard bridge closed and thought, no Bridgerama Day on Saturday,” Culliford said. “We definitely had to take time to think about it and try to get the message out again. It's definitely on!”
Earlier this week The Municipality of Chatham-Kent said missing railings delayed the re-opening. A ribbon cutting ceremony marking the completion of the bridge project was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed because the pedestrian safety railings had not arrived on site.
According to Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff, some railings arrived Friday, with word more will be delivered soon to complete to project.
“Some of the railings are here, they're not all here,” Canniff explained. “They’ll be coming over the next little while. So once all the railings are here, we will be able to finalize a time. The contractor will be able to say, you know what I can deliver in this period of time.”
Canniff said he anticipated a completion date to be known soon, noting “significant” penalties are handed down for each day the project is delayed past its deadline.
“The show must go on!” Canniff exclaimed. “So Bridgerama is happening tomorrow on Saturday. And we're going to come out here and celebrate the bridge almost being finished.”
Bridgerama runs Saturday, July 23 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
The event will feature entertainment, sales, arts and crafts, and stories.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.