A group of residents from both sides of the border have joined forces to push for a new bridge to span Rainy River between Fort Frances and International Falls to replace the privately-owned one.
“It didn’t take long to realize that there was something wrong about having the only local border access from Canada to the U.S. owned and operated by a private company,” said co-organizer Cathy Richards.
A petition is being circulated seeking support for a new, publicly-owned bridge, and the group also plans to pressure Ottawa to put construction of the proposed new Canada Customs facility here on hold and consider investing in a new bridge instead.
Last week, the town council agreed to strike a committee to look into the feasibility of a new bridge.
A rally was planned at noon today at the Civic Centre to coincide with the visit of Richard Pell, manager of Strategic Management for Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, who was in town to update council on the project.
“We’re looking at it as two separate things. We’re meeting with council to present the current option for a customs facility and this issue will be addressed,” said Pell.
There’s interest on both sides of the river for a new bridge although many acknowledge building one won’t be an easy task.
“I don’t say it’s impossible because nothing is impossible,” said International Falls Mayor Jack Murray, who was a member of council there when construction of a new bridge was considered back in the 1970s.
“If my memory is right, we were getting a good feeling from the state but as I remember on the Canadian side, there was some problems with the highways,” Mayor Murray recalled. “Finally, in the end, it kind of crumbled.”
This time around, International Falls council is waiting for an announcement on a possible toll hike before taking a stance.
“There’s nothing wrong with going after it but you can’t do it in a day, you have to do it in the long haul,” said Murray. “But maybe this is the time to do it.”
Still, even if all federal, state, provincial, and municipal politicians agree to work towards building a new bridge, a number of hurdles will remain.
“The bank of the Rainy River is generally unstable,” noted Fort Frances resident Ron Helliar, a former mechanic for Ontario Highways, who said the department struggled to find solid embankments for drainage into the river.
“We couldn’t put it into the river because the banks were too soft,” he said.
Helliar said only two locations likely would be suitable for a new bridge. “Right up at [Pither’s Point] alongside the rail road bridge. They knew what they were doing and there’s still room,” he remarked.
That location, as well as one at the south end of Keating Avenue, are rock-based and would provide a solid support for a bridge, Helliar said.
“I would love to see a new bridge go in,” he added.
Minnesota state representative Irv Anderson of International Falls also is pushing for a new bridge here, and has suggested forming a border issues commission to address the possibility as well problems faced on the current privately-owned bridge.
“I hope I can spearhead the project as to location, that’s going to be a big issue. I have my own ideas but that’s for another day,” said Anderson.
“Everyone I’ve talked to over here has supported it. That’s what we need, lots of public support,” he stressed.