Bridge committee seeking support

The local Citizens for a New Bridge Committee is saying “no” to plans to build a new Canada Customs and Immigration facility here.
And the group is calling for supporters to attend a public meeting next Monday (Dec. 11) at 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre, where plans for the proposed Customs facility will be presented.
The committee met last Wednesday night and agreed to ask town council to oppose the requests for re-zoning which, if approved, would allow construction of the facility to go ahead.
“We’re asking anyone who wants to to come to the Dec. 11 meeting,” said committee member Cathy Richards, who has concerns over traffic flow and the impact on the tourism information centre here.
“We’d really like to see the zoning not be approved–the tourism office will be a dead zone,” she argued. “From what we hear, it is a compromise but we shouldn’t have a compromise.”
“I just moved here two months ago and I saw a town that is screaming for this new bridge and yet they are not coming out to show it,” added committee member Daphne Rogoza.
“We feel that if they go ahead with the construction of the facility that will be the death of a new bridge.”
The committee has placed ads with the local media encouraging others to come out in opposition of the proposed Customs facility.
“Everyone is complaining about it but where is the town when it comes to doing?” Rogoza asked.
The committee has put copies of the proposed Customs facility plan on display in the entrance foyer between Warrior Workwear and the Fine Line Art Gallery on Mowat Avenue
Meanwhile, it also has gathered more than 2,000 signatures on petitions placed at 20 businesses throughout Fort Frances, which oppose private ownership of the international bridge here in favour of exploring the construction of a publicly-owned one.
When approached, only one business said no to posting the petition.
“There’s only maybe a handful of people who say no, it won’t work,” Richards noted.
If the town does permit construction of the new facility to go ahead Monday night, the committee intends to take their opposition a step further and appeal the decision.
“What we’re going to do is appeal any decision. We’ve already investigated how to go about an appeal,” noted Rogoza.
In related news, a joint committee of Fort Frances and International Falls councils, as well as Minnesota state rep. Irv Anderson and residents from both sides of the border, also will be established in late December or early January to look at the feasibility of building a new bridge.
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon said he’s waiting for newly-elected Falls mayor Harry Swendson to get organized in his new position and then the two will call the joint committee’s first meeting.
“When he’s ready, we’ll be ready to go. We’ll have our committee next week,” said Mayor Witherspoon.