Welcome back. Memory Lane has returned from a short hiatus and it’s time to “bridge” that gap (you’ll understand in a second) with this column and tap back into your memories.
Over the summer, people walking in the vicinity of the Bridge of Nations found themselves first in awe of the spectacle that was the removal of the Nelson Street (“Iron”) Bridge walking bridge or staring in wonder at the chasm that was a missing piece of the downtown landscape.
In fact, as many will remember, this was not the first time. So, today we will take a look at the end of the original Nelson Street bridge. Of course, we can’t have an end without a beginning.
In the 1907 Sessional papers for the Dominion of Canada, it was announced that four applications involving the CPR crossing through the Town of Sudbury were heard by the Board of Railway Commissioners over the previous year.
For the purposes of this article, the first application is most important: “An Application…for permission to carry Nelson Street across (the CPR) by means of an overhead bridge.”
Now, you would think this meant that a brand new structure was in the offing for Sudbury. But, alas, it was not to be.
Before the bridge was erected to span the rock-cut just to the east of the CPR station (although the station was not in that location at that time), it had seen service more than 20 years earlier at Chalk River. The bridge was built by the Delaware Bridge Company for the Canadian Pacific in 1881.
Of course, this leads us to wonder if that battered old bridge in our memories was, in fact, shiny and new when it was used at Chalk River. Or was the railway moving it along from time to time as the topographical challenges required?
And, did its lengthy tenure in Sudbury only come about because it didn't happen to fit a rock-cut or river somewhere else along the railway line?
In the end, it doesn’t much matter, because what a lengthy and memorable tenure it was (if the bridge could have spoken, what stories could it have divulged?)
Its initial use in the town was for horse and buggy transportation carrying the local movers and shakers to their homes around the vicinity of the Bell Mansion.
In 1918, the Sudbury-Copper Cliff Suburban Electric Railway Company began plying its way over the bridge, carrying people from the downtown, out to the shores of Lake Ramsey. The increase in automotive culture and leisure pursuits added even more traffic as residents drove southward to cottages on many of the lakes beyond Ramsey.
The streetcar service remained in operation until 1950. At which point, the route became the sole possession of cars, trucks and buses.
Eventually, the growth of the city and the increase in the volume of traffic moving from one end of Sudbury to the other brought forward talk of replacing the bridge with something better capable of the job. For years, the city fathers talked and bargained on ways to get a new bridge. This finally came to fruition with the “Paris-Drinkwater overpass” project which began in 1973.
In August 1973, city engineer Peter Wong recommended against the retention of the Nelson Street bridge as a pedestrian and bicycle overpass. "I respectfully suggest," he wrote in a letter to council, "that we do not consider the Nelson Street bridge as a suitable pedestrian access." He made his suggestion in response to a letter from a local resident which had been sent to city council requesting that, with the new Paris-Drinkwater overpass under construction, the old "iron bridge" should be retained for pedestrians and cyclists.
Wong noted that: "The iron bridge is owned by Canadian Pacific Ltd., about 67 years old, decrepit, and, in my opinion, an eyesore, and a headache."
He said that the structure should come down as soon as the “Paris-Drinkwater overpass” was completed. He added that, throughout the history of the "iron bridge" the railway looked after the superstructure while the city only maintained the roadway.
In recommending against a duplicate bridge, Wong said that the report on the Paris-Drinkwater connection indicated a minimal amount of pedestrian movement from the Howey-Morris area and suggested that the new bridge with its two sidewalks would be capable of providing the necessary pedestrian access.
"Admittedly, there is some additional distance for some people to travel if they were pushing buggies and carts," Wong said. He added that it would be premature to consider a new footbridge which, to replace the Nelson Street structure, would cost about $100,000. “I suggest that we test the adequacy of the new Paris-Drinkwater bridge for pedestrian access before proceeding with any new footbridge at this location."
Exactly one year later, on August 3, 1974, the “Paris-Drinkwater overpass” was opened and the vast majority of cars and trucks took advantage of this new transportation link.
Now, a decision had to be made in regard to the “iron bridge.” Mayor Joe Fabbro and some other city council members added their voices to the fray, advocating for the retention of the old structure as a "convenience" for pedestrians, allowing a quicker access to Bell Park for many.
But the argument at city council over retaining or removing the old Nelson Street bridge was academic. Since it belonged to the CPR and they wanted it down, council, in reality, had little to say in the matter.
This led to the footbridge proposal becoming a much more realistic proposal.
As always, it was money that complicated the situation. Construction of the Paris overpass (tied to the removal of the existing structure) would ensure a grant of $650,000 from the Canadian Transport Commission.
And, there was a possibility under legislation at the time that the federal contribution could be increased by a further $500,000, stated Mayor Fabbro. That would make a total of $1,150,000 in "extra" money to help with costs from the Paris overpass project.
As an editorial of the day proclaimed: “When the smoke clears from city council's present thinking and if there is, indeed, all that beautiful federal loot waiting to be put to good use in Sudbury, surely the regional council can spin off $100,000 for a footbridge.”
The only real question was to establish whether or not there would be reasonable demand for a separate pedestrian bridge. But, “no amount of reports (on that demand) can change the fact that the Nelson St. bridge is sadly dilapidated. It is worn out and in continuing danger of falling down.”
One month later, on September 10, 1974, city council decided to permanently close the Nelson Street bridge to all vehicular traffic and, at the same time, leave the way open to have it kept on as a pedestrian crossing. A city engineering study was requested to be conducted to determine whether the bridge could be lifted (at that time, it actually nearly interfered with CPR rail traffic below) or replaced with a pedestrian access.
Alderman Tom Zaitz called for an examination of the structure to have it retained as both a vehicular as well as a pedestrian route, but on three recorded votes he was the only one who felt that way. At the council meeting, which also doubled as a public hearing into the road closing, only one objector registered an appeal.
The lone objector considered the bridge a landmark and that, esthetically, it would be a shame to remove the iron structure. As some 2,000 cars daily were still using the Nelson Street bridge, he even figured this would amount to more than $150,000 in fuel savings during the course of a year for motorists (with a subsequent pollution drop) by not having to travel the extra distance to the new Paris Street overpass.
Transportation engineer Mike Ross, who favoured a pedestrian overpass in that area, said the objector’s “transportation arguments hold about as much water as a sieve."
Ross pointed out that about 18,800 vehicles, according to a count, were using the new Paris Street overpass. And, though, he conceded the point that between 1,500 and 2,500 vehicles were still using the old bridge, "there is no justification for keeping it for vehicular use, but there is a whale of a justification for pedestrians and bicycles."
Even though the Nelson Street bridge was considered “legally” closed to vehicular traffic, cars would not be physically barred until some time the following week (that was the plan anyway). City engineer Peter Wong reasoned that he wanted to allow sufficient time to permit motorists to acquaint themselves with the pending closing.
Wong said that while enough warning time had been given to motorists, there was also a time factor involved for receiving the federal money to move forward. The Canadian Transport Commission (CTC) indicated that at least some of the promised federal funds would only be forthcoming once the bridge was physically closed. And, that the Region would not receive the remainder until final disposition of the structure was determined. The Region countered, requesting that the CTC delay its order that the bridge be removed until after an engineering study was completed on whether a new footbridge should be built or if the existing structure could be refurbished to provide a pedestrian crossing.
Unfortunately, when Regional Council voted to support the engineering committee study and financial participation from the Region, some councillors were not impressed, claiming the erection of a new footbridge or repair of the existing Nelson Street structure was a city responsibility.
This action elicited a comment of “Hogtown Sudbury" from Councillor Harold Prescott, of Capreol. Under the act setting up the regional government, it was written that “the Region may construct a sidewalk, improvement or service on a road under local municipality jurisdiction.” After this jurisdiction was cited, Councillor Mike Solski stated, “Then you better start building them (bridges) all over."
The arguments over what to do next with the Nelson Street bridge dragged on into the new year. At a March 1975 meeting of council's public works committee, Alderman Dick Dow suggested that the bridge could be raised (to provide the clearance demanded by the CPR), extended 10 feet at each end and anchored on new piers.
Removing the bridge and building a pedestrian overpass was now estimated to cost $130,000 (the costs were already climbing since Peter Wong’s estimate of two years prior). Raising the existing bridge and providing new abutments was estimated at $146,000. Alderman Dow believed that his alternative might cost less than either of those options. A committee (another one) was struck to examine the bridge (again) and the Dow proposal was sent off to be checked by a structural engineer.
With the writing now clearly on the wall, an editorial was written that same month, it waxed philosophical about the past and ultimate future of the venerable old bridge.
“Oh, there have been no petitions circulated for its retention. A thing of beauty it definitely isn't. Motorists with fresh memories of its rattling, tire-wearing, highly-unusual decking were glad to see the last of it. But it does have a superstructure that's in reasonably good shape, in contrast to its abutments: it turns out that at this stage of its career it can provide the most economical kind of pedestrian overpass, why not use it?
At 68 years of age, it's not too difficult to imagine a history buff waxing sentimental about the iron bridge. After all, it pre-dates the Flour Mill silos by a couple of years, and what other works of mankind have we around here that have been standing longer?
But the realist must prevail over the sentimentalist. If the bridge cannot be put to practical use in a way more economical than any alternatives then it should be off to the scrap pile, or whatever use the railway sees fit.”
In early April 1975, city council’s public works committee announced (finally!) that the Nelson Street bridge would be taken down, with one caveat, that the timing should be such that the area is not left without a footbridge over the CPR tracks. The committee had just decided against propping up the aged structure for its continued use as a footbridge.
The committee recommended the engineering department proceed with the necessary footbridge design, estimated to cost around $125,000. As expected, the city would be approaching the regional municipality for a share of the cost. While the Region had indicated it would pay a portion, the amount hadn’t been agreed upon. The cost of demolishing the bridge would be paid for by the Region as heir to the city in the CTC board order for construction of the Paris Street overpass.
The most important reason why the old bridge couldn't be retained, said Peter Wong, was “the uncertainty about the structural strength of the steel.” There was concern that the quality of the steel used in its construction in 1881 was of a lesser strength than present-day dictates demanded.
Which brings us, not a few months, but three whole years later (late May 1978, in fact), where the Nelson Street bridge demolition and construction of the new footbridge was…postponed.
Tenders were only opened by city council that month for the demolition-construction job, but there was some red tape that was expected to put off any work until the Fall. Authorization by the CTC was necessary if the city wanted the government and CPR financial assistance for the project which it so greatly desired. If the city were to begin work before the order was signed by federal and provincial officials, the CTC would disqualify the city from compensation. “As well, we have now passed the point in time when the project could be started and completed in time for the heavy summer traffic," noted Peter Wong.
By the end of October 1978, the end was finally in sight, it was announced that the Nelson Street bridge would be coming down in 1979. City council awarded a $160,739 contract to Bot Construction Ltd. of Sudbury to tear down the bridge and build a new pedestrian walkway. As per the contract, the old bridge had to be down by April 29, and the walkway up by July 29.
On March 12, 1979 (nearly five years after the saga began), the inevitable end to the service of
the venerable “Iron Bridge” came at the hands of 10 men and three large mobile cranes. After two weeks of preparation, the city 's contractor lifted the bridge off its anchors.
It was then temporarily laid to rest on the south side of the tracks, where the 50-ton structure was then cut up by welding torches over the following week prior to being shipped off to the scrap yard. What remained was a yawning chasm with a network of rail lines below.
On May 23, 1979, construction crews using the same large cranes, fit a new Nelson Street footbridge into place for the use of pedestrians and cyclists. It would remain in place for the next 45 years.
Well dear readers, when the scrap iron of the first Nelson Street bridge was hauled away, only one thing remained, memories. For 72 years, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and streetcar passengers journeyed overtop the railway tracks. In fact, for many lifelong residents of Sudbury, the bridge had been a part of the city for longer than memory recalled.
Now, let’s see if your memories are a little less rusty than old Iron (after 45+ years) to give the Bridge the epitaph it deserved.
Jason Marcon is a writer and history enthusiast in Greater Sudbury. He runs the Coniston Historical Group and the Sudbury Then and Now Facebook page. Memory Lane is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.