KAGAWONG—The Manitoulin Municipal Association (MMA) has agreed to meet with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) in person to discuss its concerns with the newly-revised Little Current Swing Bridge emergency plan. Members voiced concerns at a meeting last week that the plan only addresses a short-term emergency should the bridge become inoperable, not a long-term shutdown. The MMA would also like the emergency plan tied in with all of Manitoulin Island and the municipalities’ own community emergency plans.
“There needs to be a long-term plan in place. A lot of what is here is based on a short-term shutdown of the bridge, but what if the bridge is down for two or three months?” asked MMA chair Ken Noland.
Both Al MacNevin, mayor of the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI) and Richard Stephens, mayor of the municipality of Central Manitoulin, agreed.
“All of our municipalities have emergency management plans in place,” Mr. Noland said. “Wouldn’t this plan be part of an overview, and couldn’t we coordinate the plans (MTO and municipal emergency plans)?”
Mr. Noland noted the MMA had asked the MTO about the emergency plan and what was happening with the studies being carried out on the future of a new bridge.
The class environmental assessment study has been completed, it was pointed out. The plan includes the replacement of the Little Current Swing Bridge with a new, through-truss swing bridge situated on a new alignment located approximately 80 metres west of the existing bridge. The new bridge will consist of two vehicular travel lanes (one lane in each direction), and a 1.5-metre-wide sidewalk on the west side, for pedestrians/cyclists. A plan to appropriately commemorate the existing bridge will also be confirmed.
“The comment portion of this report is due soon,” said Mayor MacNevin. “But they (MTO) have not provided any timelines for design build or a request for proposals on the new bridge. We asked the minister to meet with us on this. They are willing to talk about their emergency plan, but not the new bridge at this point.”
Mayor MacNevin said the emergency plan is “pretty onerous for us (NEMI) as there is a whole page of stuff we have to do if the bridge is closed in an emergency. I’m listed as a contact if there is a problem and the bridge is closed, but we want them to contact our duty manager in these cases. This should all be part of one alert.”
When the bridge is shut down it affects boaters and traffic on and coming to the Island. The coast guard needs to be involved in helping to alert boaters who are on one side of the bridge or the other as to what to do. For instance, boats coming from Gore Bay will need to go to the marina here,” said Mayor MacNevin. He said the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun is part of the MTO plan for service in an emergency to help transport people off the Island in case of a bridge shutdown.
“The MTO should be talking to the people of the Island and municipalities on the plan, but they haven’t,” said Mayor MacNevin.
Gordon/Barrie Island Reeve Lee Hayden said he did not see anything in the MTO emergency plan that indicates in an emergency that notification would be given to all Manitoulin Island municipalities.
Under section one of the plan, it states the purpose of the emergency plan is to serve as a guide to assist agencies responding to a major emergency.
“Maybe the plan could be incorporated with the municipalities’ emergency plans into an Island-wide emergency plan,” said Billings Mayor Bryan Barker.
“This plan is for short term emergencies,” said Mr. Noland “What happens if the bridge collapses and there is a long-term shutdown?”
“They need a plan for all of Manitoulin Island,” said Gore Bay councillor Dan Osborne.
“If there was an emergency in our municipality and we have to evacuate, we would go with our emergency plan,” said Mayor Stephens.
Currently, the swing bridge which is owned by the MTO is operated and maintained by Emcon Services Inc.
Should an emergency situation force the closure of the Little Current Swing Bridge to vehicular traffic for an extended period of time, with the assistance of NEMI and MTO, through its maintenance coordinator, steps to secure an alternate means of transportation to and from the mainland may be initiated. Alternatives may include: re-routing traffic to South Baymouth to board the ferry to Tobermory; transporting people with medical emergencies to the mainland by boat from Harbor Vue Marina; scheduling bus transportation from the mainland at Little Current to Espanola; and arranging a barge to transport fuel, food and other necessities of life to the Island.
MTO states it will provide daily progress updates regarding the repairs of the Little Current Swing Bridge to the following agencies: Ontario Provincial Police, Provincial Communications Centre, North Bay; Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada, Town of NEMI, MMA, Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation and media.
Should the emergency situation with the bridge the be anticipated to restrict the movement of vehicular traffic, the OPP will be notified. The implementation of an emergency road closure plan will be at the direction of the OPP. The MTO maintenance coordinator and the ministry contractor shall co-ordinate and ensure the repairs are carried out as expeditiously as possible.
Should the emergency situation with the bridge be anticipated to restrict he movement of vehicular traffic for an extended period of time exceeding several hours in duration, the Little Current detachment of the OPP, through the officer in charge, will have sole responsibility to implement an emergency closure of Highway 6 at the Little Current Swing Bridge. This decision will be based on existing information on hand, or that is received from other agencies, where a serious occurrence has or may take place.
In the event the ministry declares an emergency situation at the Swing Bridge, Emcon shall make available such material, labour and equipment that is available in the work area. If warranted, the OPP shall contact the mayor of NEMI to request the establishment of a relief centre at the Howland recreation centre. The OPP shall patrol and inform stranded motorists on the island of the relief stations to be set up in the town of NEMI. Espanola OPP officers will be dispatched to assist stranded motorists on the north side of the Swing Bridge.
Canadian Coast Guard, upon notification by the MTO of an imminent alteration to the regular bridge schedule, shall immediately notify marine traffic by issuing the appropriate notice to shipping. And will for an extended period time have sole responsibility for informing, restricting and directing marine traffic.
Upon receiving notification from NEMI of an emergency closure of the Swing Bridge to vehicular traffic, the Manitoulin Health Centre and Espanola General Hospital shall notify medical facilities and personnel on Manitoulin Island and in Espanola of the bridge closure, and if there is the establishment of an alternate means of access to and from the mainland for emergency emergencies.
NEMI, upon notification by the OPP of the closure of Highway 6 due to the failure of the bridge, shall gather its control group together in the event they are required to put their community emergency plan into effect to ensure sufficient relief centres are established; upon notification by the OPP of the closure of the highway, NEMI shall notify medical facilities in Espanola and Manitoulin and ambulance services. The relief centres will be established to support and provide rest areas for stranded motorists; public works staff shall immediately begin identifying and providing alternate parking locations for motorists stranded at the bridge; the town shall notify the MHC, EGH and ambulance services of an alternate means of transporting medical emergencies from Manitoulin Island to the mainland once it has been secured.
Mayor Barker said the MTO emergency plan could go hand in hand with the Island municipalities’ emergency plans.
The MTO has offered several dates in March and April to meet with the MMA.
The MMA agreed to pass a motion to send a letter on behalf of the MM that outlines its concerns: that the MTO emergency plan tie-in with Island municipalities emergency plans, and the MTO outline plans in case there is a long term break in service of the Swing Bridge. They will be bringing these concerns at the upcoming meeting.
