The 28-metre pedestrian bridge over Chippewa Creek at Oak St, installed as part of the Chippewa Creek Erosion Remediation project, is now complete.
A special ribbon cutting ceremony was held on August 25 with North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority Chair Britton, North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico, and Bill Vrebosch were on hand to officially open the bridge and mark the completion of the erosion project.
“The creek repair completed last fall has provided a much-needed remedy for the instability of the creek’s banks. The completion and opening of the pedestrian bridge strengthen the link between the Kate Pace Way and the Chippewa Creek EcoPath and the trails that connect the City,” said Dave Britton, Chair of the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) which lead the remediation project.
The need for the creek repairs was identified in a 2015 erosion control study for Chippewa Creek. The Oak St. section of the creek was tagged as the top priority. Repeated flooding and excessive erosion were causing instability of the creek banks. The abutments along this portion of the creek were becoming unstable.
“NBMCA’s watershed-based initiatives, such as the Chippewa Creek Erosion Remediation Project, highlight NBMCA’s strong role in natural hazard management in collaboration with our member municipalities,” added NBMCA’s CAO Chitra Gowda.
The remediation project consisted of several components undertaken in phases since 2019: removal of an unused Ontario Northland Railway bridge; removal of a pedestrian bridge that connected to the Kate Pace Way; demolition of a small building; widening of the creek channel and resloping of the banks; installation of armour stone to protect underground water and sanitary pipes; planting of native shrub species on the banks; and the installation of a new, wider and longer pedestrian bridge span.
Funding for the erosion repair work has been provided by the City of North Bay and the Province of Ontario (through the Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure Program).
The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) was founded in 1972 by the Province of Ontario and the NBMCA’s member municipalities. A non-profit organization, the NBMCA works closely with the public to balance human needs with the environmental needs of the region’s watershed. The NBMCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities who are members of Conservation Ontario.
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For more information, contact:
David Ellingwood, Director, Water Resources (705) 474-5420 ext. 2018
Sue Buckle, Manager, Communications & Outreach (705) 474-5420 ext. 2010