MONTREAL – Montreal-area residents lined up for the chance to own a little piece of the Champlain Bridge that connected the city and its South Shore for nearly 60 years.
As of 9:30 a.m. Sept. 10 people were lining up in the rain on foot and in vehicles to get one of a few thousand rivets from the bridge that are being given away as keepsakes.
The original Champlain Bridge was decommissioned in 2019 when it was replaced by a new $4.4-billion span.
A spokeswoman for the federal Crown corporation that manages the old bridge says the structure played a major part in the economic development of both Montreal and its suburbs, even though it was plagued with issues in its final years.
Nathalie Lessard says rivets — essentially big nails — are significant because they helped hold the bridge together and aren’t used in modern construction.
The rivets come with a disclaimer warning that they may contain traces of lead paint, which has been mitigated by a protective coat of varnish.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
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