The first girder that will make up the new Haisla Bridge was unveiled today.
The event took place at the Kitimat Rod and Gun Club. Officials from the District of Kitimat spoke along with Elders from the Haisla Nation and Deputy Chief Councillor Arthur Renwick.
“There’s a lot of history in this area, Kitimat’s own history and its development,” said Renwick. “This used to be a really active hub for celebrations, I remember the raft races,”
Renwick spoke about some of the history of the area and also talked about what the land was once used for. He also said he was happy to see a sidewalk connecting back into town being constructed.
Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth during his speech said this would be the first piece of the project that will span the river.
“I am excited to see the work continue to happen over the course of this year and what this will look like as we enter 2023,” said Germuth. “By this time next year we will have an excellent new community feature and a rejuvenated link to our industrial centre.”
The girders have been arriving by rail and more are expected in the coming weeks. Work is expected to start again Thursday (June 16) as Steelworkers will be back with work ramping up on the weekend.