Artists sketch of the grand proposed arch bridge design.
Hamilton city councillors voted in favour to build a myopic eye-catching arched bridge over the Queen Elizabeth Way in east Hamilton. The plan is to lure Toronto-bound drivers who are slightly nearsighted and hopefully lacking a sense of smell into Hamilton using the bridge as a distraction from the odour enriched bay front smokestacks and slag piles.
The pedestrian bridge, as councilors like Sam Merulla laughingly envision would give east-end residents safe access to the waterfront, linking with the Beach Recreational Trail and the Bruce Trail through the Red Hill Valley. The view is not exactly inviting, unless your doing a photo documentary on industrial pollution.
It's no secret Hamilton is fighting a losing battle over its reputation and I welcome anything that could change the "grubby city" attitude of our 'Big Smoke' cousins but, we do not need a fancy bridge or Bratina's fountain in the harbour idea that is way too expensive. Maybe the fountain could lead 'patrons' into a red light district that the good councillor suggested as an answer to ridding the hookers and johns. Seven and a half million would go along way to the continuing effort to beautify Randle Reef in Hamilton Harbour or towards a new home for the Tiger Cats and Marauders at Mac to take advantage of the newly minted Go bus terminal.
My suggestion would to build a much simpler and less costly bridge and focus our tourism efforts on parts of the city that actually offer something to see. Not north end smoke stacks and the now covered Rennie Street dump to the south.
Later,
Kenaz
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