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03 | 22 | 2018 VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 12
EDSS DRAMA ENTERS FRAY AT REGIONALS THE ARTS PAGE 20
COMMENT PAGE 8
WOOLWICH DOESN’T NEED ANOTHER CONSULTANT
The township needs better infrastructure to support some 60,000 visitors who make their way to the site each year, say those who live around the historic structure.
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
[FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]
West Montrose residents’ association calls for improvements to the covered bridge experience Woolwich councillors largely sympathetic to changes that would boost safety and visitor enjoyment at historic site STEVE KANNON AN EVER-GROWING INFLUX OF tourists and sightseers are putting a strain on the area surrounding West Montrose’s covered bridge, say residents who live nearby. Now they’re looking for help from the township and region to increase visitor safety and
make the location more welcoming. From better signage to major upgrades to the parks near the bridge, the West Montrose Residents’ Association – the BridgeKeepers – are calling for improvements to the surroundings that help both visitors and residents alike. The current infrastruc-
ture is inadequate for some 60,000 people who visit the historic site each year, maintains village resident Tony Dowling, noting the community needs Woolwich’s support to make improvements. In a presentation to township council Tuesday night, he and fellow BridgeKeepers member
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car and truck traffic, along with horse-drawn buggies, to present a unique set of challenges, said Dowling. With limited parking, few amenities and no real public access to the river (some people, for instance, routinely trespass on private property to launch their canoes), the bridge area is a victim of its own
Hans Pottkamper made a case for a cooperative effort, starting with safety measures such as additional stop signs and reduced speed limits in the vicinity of the 130-year-old structure. The scenic area draws a wide range of visitors – hikers, canoeists, cyclists, tour buses – who mix with
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popularity. “This is a special place , with special challenges and requirements,” said Dowling, noting there are issues for visitors and residents alike. “We need infrastructure here,” added Pottkamper, starting with traffic-calmBRIDGEKEEPERS | 4
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