Amend LaSalle Causeway schedule
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to amend the modular bridge lift schedule to allow more frequent scheduled marine passages by 1 May 2026 and have a replacement bridge operational by 1 May 2027.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would restore more frequent marine access, addressing petitioners' concerns about reduced boating and helping tourism-dependent communities recover.
- Regular scheduled passages would give predictable marine access, helping businesses and visitors plan and reducing economic disruption.
- Shorter or more predictable closures would reduce commuter and emergency-response delays, improving movement of people, goods and public transit.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- More frequent lifts would increase the number of road closures, potentially worsening delays for drivers, transit users and local businesses.
- Transport Canada’s existing approvals reflect safety and navigation constraints; changing the schedule may face operational or regulatory limits.
- Committing to a fixed replacement date may be unrealistic given construction, permitting and funding challenges, risking missed deadlines.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada The LaSalle Causeway’s Bascule Bridge was damaged during repair work in spring of 2024, with key structural elements rendered unrepairable. As a result, the bridge had to be fully demolished with construction beginning in June 2025; A temporary modular bridge was installed to maintain vehicles, pedestrians, cyclist access during construction. This modular bridge must be removed and reinstalled to allow marine traffic through the main navigation channel. Each removal and reinstallation takes approximately 6 hours. Transport Canada approved a lift schedule permitting removals only on Sundays and select holidays, with road closures from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and marine traffic operating from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Residents are increasingly concerned that the current schedule creates significant disruptions to the movement of people, goods, public transit, tourism, and emergency services. Extended road closures reduce accessibility, delay commuters and emergency responders and discourage visitors from accessing local businesses. Parks Canada has reported a 10% decline in boating traffic since closure. The Rideau Heritage Route Tourism Association notes that in 2017, communities along the Rideau Canal contributed $309M in tourism-related economic activity. Continued reductions in marine traffic risk future economic harm with long-term impacts on tourism dependent communities. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Amend the lift schedule for the temporary modular bridge to allow for more frequent, regular, scheduled marine traffic to pass through, by May 1, 2026; and 2. Commit to having a final replacement bridge operational for May 1, 2027.
Government response
No government response is available yet.