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Pedway taking shape

Published on November 6th, 2009
Published on Febuary 20th, 2010
Ray Burns

A crew from Cherubini Metal Works is installing this walkway under the George Street Bridge in New Glasgow as a work platform for installation of a permanent pedway. Ray Burns - The News

NEW GLASGOW - Don't worry, it's not trolls that are lurking under the George Street Bridge this week.
It's a crew from Cherubini Metal Works in Dartmouth doing prep work for the pedway that's going to be attached to the bridge later this month.
Superviser Randall Dillman, along with co-workers Wade Swinamer and Ray Laing, have been busy since Monday building a 10-foot wide platform along the length of the bridge to allow the ironworkers from Cherubini to get access to the north side to affix the walkway.
"It's going to give the ironworkers a place to work off. We'll do all the odds and ends," Dillman said.

Topics :
George Street Bridge , New Glasgow , Dartmouth , Burnside Industrial Park

A crew from Cherubini Metal Works is installing this walkway under the George Street Bridge in New Glasgow as a work platform for installation of a permanent pedway. Ray Burns - The News

NEW GLASGOW - Don't worry, it's not trolls that are lurking under the George Street Bridge this week.
It's a crew from Cherubini Metal Works in Dartmouth doing prep work for the pedway that's going to be attached to the bridge later this month.
Superviser Randall Dillman, along with co-workers Wade Swinamer and Ray Laing, have been busy since Monday building a 10-foot wide platform along the length of the bridge to allow the ironworkers from Cherubini to get access to the north side to affix the walkway.
"It's going to give the ironworkers a place to work off. We'll do all the odds and ends," Dillman said.
"We're going to put a good run on. On Monday or Tuesday we'll be finished of our part. We're moving along pretty good now. We should have been done long ago, if we could have dragged them out and dropped them (each deck section). We had to measure and drill every one."
They only got a half-day of work done on Tuesday before being driven inside by the weather.
The walkway they're building will be 240 feet long and made up of aluminum joists with a plywood deck.
The new permanent walkway is going to be delivered from the Burnside Industrial Park location with the finishing touches put on it here.
"It'll be all assembled in pieces and brought up. There may be a little bit of cutting and fitting."
The superviser said Cherubini usually does large jobs, they recently built the tidal-power turbines for the Fundy basin, but in tough economic times all work is good work.
"The company does bridges, buildings, fairly large structures. But just like any other company, probably around the world I guess, things are fairly slow."
Dillman said he was told that the project will be finished before Christmas.
"We'll come back after they're done and tear it all apart again."

Comments

  • Username
    Steelworker
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:32:07

    Ok, let me correct a few things. The job does not go to the company who has the most qualified employees. This is structural steel and just about every metal shop in the land has qualified workers. The job would go to whoever gave the lowest bid. Of course a big outfit like Cherubini would get it. However, I would rather a job go to a local company even if it costs more. The smaller local shops would hire a few people and put money back into the local economy. The cost from our local shops would be dramatically higher, but the extra money would come back to us in the long run.

    And comrades mentioned Maritime Steel, who does not do structural work, but should get back into it and be doing work like this. Then more people would be working there... more money into our economy.

    The most important thing is why the heck are they building a walkway in the first place? Just more useless spending of tax dollars. We don't need another walkway, nor do we need all the work being done downtown. It is yet another example of how out of touch the people making the decisions are. What do they hope to accomplish? The few times there is excessive foot traffic on the bridge is hardly worth the expense. Why spend any money on downtown when the big retail goes to the mall? It's not like we will attract tourist dollars because we have a fancy walkway and new sidewalks.

    Just another big waste of cash.

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  • Username
    Chris
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:32:05

    Just a side note Andrew, the west side of the river is much to shallow for a marina, and why would anyone want more traffic on the bridge?

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  • Username
    P
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:32:03

    What a waste of money? what is wrong with the sidewalk on top of the bridge?

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  • Username
    anynomous
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:32:03

    Okay I have to comment on this. The job goes to the person/comany who has the employees who are most qualified for the position. If you can do better the pinheads in municipal govt and attract people to the area, why dont you run for office yourself and do the job. I am a youth and have close to 8 years education and am constantly looking for employment outside this area. One reason is because there are better opportunities(which you are ignorant to) outside the area Another reason is I never came home once when I was during my time in university. The main reason I plan to leave because I would never want to be here and plan to leave/move/work elsewhere is because the majoriity of people here have nothing better to do is b ch and complain and are constantly negative or you mock/insult peoples intelligence. If you want to attract people to the area or retain them , you cant kiss A** in person and mouth off behind their back. You have to respect who they are and what they have done. I have had enough of you people whining, feeling sorry for yourselves and complaing. It looks sad, immature and pathetic. Just my two cents.

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  • Username
    Chris
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:58

    Well young man Im sorry, but you are for a rude awakening. People are like that everywhere you go. The internet just gave thema forum. Look at any big city or western towns newspaper websites and you will find the comments quite similar. It is society not PC. As for the job going to those who have qualified employees not just local, well im pretty sure are people qualified to do that work here at home. You sound like someone who thinks they are too good for Pictou County now that you are all book-learned and stuff, so if thats the case good riddance kid.

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  • Username
    Dan
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:58

    Andrew makes some great points. Long term benefits for the marina, as well as immediate safety benefits for the pedestrian traffic definitely has to be a good thing.

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  • Username
    Matt
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:55

    I find it funny, that to be able to voice a better way, you should have to run for council to do it yourself. I think to Andrews points that if this was indeed part of a larger picture, than paint it for all to see. Sadly, this is probably just a quick sounds good decision made by the council.

    NG is in desperate need of infrastructure investment, and a vision moving forward.

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  • Username
    Chris
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:54

    Well said Steelworker, your whole post was bang on.

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  • Username
    fellow
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:49

    Andrew Purdy and why are we building these things ? The proof is very clear after a decade that they add nothing to the bottom line of the town except for an excuse to raise taxes . Does the Marina turn a Profit ? Well apparently not now that the Town and it's so called riverfront development have given up that million dollar boondoggle to a private Leasee. Have you ever looked at the shape of what was build on these trails ? The Town can't even afford to maintain what they have let alone continue to play developer.
    Can't wait til spring to see what happens to these new Sidewalks which will probably be mared by Snow plows and salt.

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  • Username
    fellow
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:46

    So the PRDC has a meeting for November 18th on how we attract people to this county of declining population .
    First we have to stop practices like Hiring a medal fab shop out of Dartmouth when it was Maritime Steel of New Glasgow Nova Scotia WHO Donated all the Steel for the John Brother Mac Donald Stadium.
    Local Government Pinheads are driving people out of this country with their love of using companies that don't pay taxes in our community. The Downtown Sidewalk replacement is yet another example.
    People Wonder why the Country is becoming the new Canso or Northern Nova Scotia. It is very simple we are sending the message to our youth that you have to live in Halifax to do a contract for the Town of New Glasgow IE a 23,000 dollar LOGO

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  • Username
    Andrew
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:42

    I find it funny that all the people who know how to run a town, a council, or a business, are here instead... you know there is a big world out there beyond the end of your nose..really there is..

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  • Username
    george
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:42

    to spend money because it is available just does not make sense. This country and this world is in one terrible financial mess and this type of spending with little tangable benifit is ludicrious. Msot infrastructure money is a triparty affair and some comes from the municipality concerned. We have winter approaching and money would be better spent to help the poor and underprivilidged to survive and not on friviolous matters. as far as making New Glasgow more attractive for tourists, well the tourism trade is down because of a high Cnadian dollar and high gasoline prices mainly due to high petroleum costs in Canada. lets take some of this wasted infrastructure and develope a stratagey for the country and not for ped-ways.

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  • Username
    P
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:41

    If a pedway must be built (I don't think it does) but a pedway would be better served connecting the Lourdes area to the south end. It would be safer for the teens who cross the train bridge to get to the other side. and those that do enjoy the Samson trail can connect to the Pioneer trail

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  • Username
    Andrew
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:39

    thank you, Voice of Reason, for explaining some of what lies past the end of the noses.. PC from NS makes a great idea with that, but I'm thinking the cost for that would be really high, but still a great idea.. Matt from NS, I don't think you have to run for council, you can go voice your opinion, however, we all know how business and politics can go sometimes, what goes on behind the scenes, rarely ever gets publicized, all we see is the handshake and cheque holding picture.. your probably right Chris, I was just making some guesses, I do see some moorings on the west side, so I thought maybe that might of had something to do with things.. and maybe you don't want more traffic on the bridge, maybe they can widen a lane for bicycles or something to that effect..

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  • Username
    Voice
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:38

    I can't really comment on the steel work although if the project went out to tender, which it would have, then it would be at the discretion of the Town Engineer to decide who gets the work. In terms of infrastructure spending, which would include the pedway as part of the downtown development plan, the majority of funds came via a federal infrastructure grant provided to the town. What many fail to realize is that these funds are ear marked specifically for infrastructure and cannot be used for other things- if all the budgeted money isn't used then it goes back into federal coffirs not back to the municipal government. So as an FYI ( not condesending)- infrastructure funding is usually federal although it is applied for by the municipalities. Maitenance isn't factored into how the money is to be spent- so unfortunately upkeep does become a municipal responsibility. The alternative is for the money to go elsewhere, which it will if we don't use it- unfortunately we don't always get to chose but neither does the town. In terms of taxes, they are the way municipalities generate revenue to maintain roads, salt, etc etc. If we expect a certain standard then we unfortunately need to pay for it . Otherwise we need to put up with what we currently can afford- we can't have it both ways. My suggestion to those who complain about maitenance on parks, trails, etc. is to volunteer to help with the upkeep- as residents of a town we care about the responsibilty needs to lie on all our shoulders rather than continually pointing the finger at our elected officials and town employees.

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  • Username
    Andrew
    - February 22nd, 2010 at 13:31:35

    If you think about things a little bit guys, it may not be a bad idea to build this foot bridge, open your minds a little, I'm going to guess on a few things as to why this is being built, first, maybe they want to expand the marina, and this is a great way to safely access the other side of the river, instead of everyone paying fees somewhere else to dock their boat, maybe during all the summer festivals on the riverfront, this walkway will provide a safer alternative to pedestrian traffic, it may allow the bridge to be widened for more traffic, it will keep the school kids safe who cross the bridge, I can remember two pedestrian accident's near the bridge the last couple years, It also ties the east side to the Samson/Albion trail, which helps with infrastructure, maybe they can add a trail to the east side sometime so instead of having to not find a parking spot downtown, you can be healthy and green and walk to the refurbished downtown...I could go on... but in order to move forward we must build these things, and maybe we can enhance these projects further so that all different types of individuals can enjoy what New Glasgow has to offer...

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