The town of Midland wants to build a bridge spanning Midland harbour to better connect Fuller Avenue to the downtown.
Architects and engineers have already been hired to develop the plan that would save drivers time when travelling between King Street and Penetanguishene as well as to and from Midland Point.
“It will cost millions of dollars, but would save a lot of driving time and, therefore, lessen our overall carbon footprint,” said a high-ranking municipal official, who asked not to be indentified since the project hasn't yet been officially announced.
Construction on the project could begin this August.
Coun. Bill Gordon said the bridge would also feature a lookout with one or two parking spots to encourage tourists and townsfolk to stop and take in the view of Midland harbour while also catching glimpses of Snake, Present and Beausoleil islands.
“It would be great for tourism because people, who might not live on the water or have a boat, would really get a feel for the bay," Gordon said.
A senior local tourism official, who also requested anonymity, said the lookout could also feature a photography booth that would provide a great place for wedding photographers to set up shop on a newlywed couple's big day.
“Can you imagine how cool it would be to have a full wedding party on the bridge posing for photos with beautiful Georgian Bay in the background?” she asked. “That could really put us on the map when it comes to the wedding business. It could be another branch of tourism we hadn’t really considered.”
It could also be a great way to encourage fitness and the enjoyment of nature, according to Coun. Jonathan Main.
“The overall plans call for bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides,” Main said. “It’d be such a great place to bike, especially in the morning or just as the sun is setting. It could be a little dangerous if it’s really windy so we’d have to have someone at the town monitoring wind speeds throughout the day.”
But not everyone is keen on the idea.
“I like the idea of a bridge, but not sure how the large ships could get through if they're heading to the grain elevator,” said local resident Flora Polis. “I guess they could always spend a bit more money and build a drawbridge.”
