Montreal's 40 Million Dollar Bridge

In early September, a design company introduced the idea to light up the Jacques Cartier bridge for Montreal's 375th anniversary and Canada's 150th anniversary. They're calling the project, "Living Connections." This clever title is meant to emphasize how importance this bridge has been to connect outsiders to the city of Montreal over its long, rich history.

This idea is the product of the local engineering firm Pomerleau. Their brilliant plan is to place approximately 2800 lights on the previously dark and dull bridge. These lights, when installed, will turn 365 shades of colour, depending on the season, time or event that is going on at the moment. To avoid washing out starlight, all lights will be facing the bridge rather than outwardly. If successful, this project will be a fine commemoration of Montreal's past accomplishments, while still looking like a designing marvel.

The only problem with this bright idea is the 39.5 million dollar cost of the installation process. A CROP poll shows that few Quebecers actually approve of Montreal's 375th anniversary plan to light up the Jacques Cartier bridge. In the survey that they conducted of 1,000 Quebec residents, of that group about half of them live in the greater Montreal area. Only 8 percent of this group said they want Montreal to go ahead with the plan at its current cost of $39.5 million. On the other hand, fifty-two per cent said they'd be in favour of the project if it cost less money. Finally, 30 per cent of the group said that they don't approve of the project at all.

The Jacques Cartier Bridge, officially opened on May 14, 1930, was named after the great explorer because it celebrated his 400th anniversary of landing in Canada. This was a historic moment for the country.

Before the bridge was built, people would have to take two ferries to get to Montreal. During the winter, people would cross an ice bridge to get to Montreal. With the urgent need and necessity for the bridge, the Harbour Commissioners of Montreal announced in August of 1922 that they had selected the Monsarrat and Pratley, Montreal engineering firms, for the challenging project. The bridge has been an important part of the Montreal landscape for almost one hundred years.

There us no doubt that the new firm Pomerleau was going to choose this important bridge to celebrate since it is a huge part of Canada's history and means so much to the hundreds of people who use it every day to get on and off the island. It is a bridge of exploration, named after the very man who discovered Canada.

C.C.