Dysart et al mayor Murray Fearrey has promised the township is committed to replacing the faltering footbridge in Head Lake Park.
The walkway has been in poor condition for several years and was closed for three days March 27-30 after municipal officials were notified about a missing deck board. Parks and recreation manager, Andrew Wilbee, investigated the bridge on Monday and said two boards were missing. Staff replaced the missing pieces and had the bridge reopened that afternoon.
“This will only be a temporary fix as it is becoming more and more difficult to fasten the boards to the metal frame,” Wilbee said.
Public works director Rob Camelon told council in early 2024 the bridge was nearing end of life, with the underside heavily rusted. Council initially approved a $590,000 replacement in October 2024 but did a U-turn last week, opting to shelve the project.
That came after Camelon said the price may be even higher now due to a lack of steel availability in Canada. Due to U.S. tariffs, importing sheet steel and tube piling – needed to secure the foundation – would significantly increase costs, Camelon said.
“We may go to tender and the price could come back just ridiculous and we can’t afford it,” Camelon told council at its March 24 meeting.
There, coun. Pat Casey asked about installing a Bailey bridge – a portable pre-fabricated structure – which he said could be sourced locally through Canadian manufacturer Algonquin Bridge.
Camelon said there would be structural issues to overcome going from an arced design to a straight structure, but the biggest obstacle would be getting the pre-fab design approved by Transport Canada. The federal body has rules around required headspace under bridges on navigable waterways.
“I think we’re going to challenge Transport Canada on that,” Fearrey said. “We have the Emmerson Dam on the one side and there’s
no way to pass that even in a canoe, so it’s not navigable. We’re hoping to make the case to put a flat bridge in there.”
Going with a Bailey bridge would likely cost $100,000 to $250,000 – saving the township some serious money, Fearrey said.
Public wants bridge
Haliburton resident Bill Cornwall was walking in Head Lake Park on Friday when he came upon the closed off bridge. He was surprised as there were no signs or warnings at the park entrance, only caution tape covering the structure.
He encouraged council to proceed with a permanent fix as soon as possible.
“If it needs to be replaced because it’s dangerous, then they need to replace it,” Cornwall said. “This is a really nice park. It’s a big advantage to Haliburton. An attraction that brings people to the community.”
Jennifer and Steven Waugh were in the park with their two kids on Friday evening and had to re-think their usual walking route.
“It’s not so bad if it’s closed for a couple of days, but it would be a shame if they cut off the two sides [of the park] for a long time while they figured out what they were doing,” Jennifer said. “A lot of people come here to get their exercise and like to walk all the trails, go between the playground and the beach. It would cut off the dog park from the boardwalk, and I know a lot of people use both, especially come summer.”
Fearrey reiterated there are no plans to tear the bridge down without a replacement.
“We won’t leave the park disconnected – we’ll be putting a new structure in there one way or another,” the mayor said.
