By Cheryl Jahn

Lheidli T’enneh wants a bridge

Jan 4, 2023 | 4:29 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – For years, members of the Lheidli T’enneh have lived divided. Homes on one side of the Fraser River and offices on the other side. And, for years, this is how many got from one side to the other. They would cross the Fraser River walking the pipeline.

“Yes, it’s true,” says Chief Dolleen Logan. “And my Uncle Clifford, who is in the mid-seventies, still that I’m aware of. When you’re walking across the pipe like a big pipe with a cable of the cross.”

The pipeline explosion in 2018 reinforced the need for another route. Access to North Side, where many Lheidli T’enneh members live has one road in and one road out with no fire protection.

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“Shellglen Fire Department said, If we get a bridge, we can now they will take fire protection over there. So we have a new health center over there from fire protection. We have homes over there, no fire protection.”

The band recently sought a letter of support from City Council and got it. No questions asked. The Lheidli T’enneh also has support from Canfor. And the applications have gone out to the appropriate parties.

“We got an application to Indigenous Services Canada. So that’s in the works. It’s a passion for us to have it, but it’s a huge passion for our engineer. And and he wants this, this is his baby, and we’re pushing for it. So we’ll application’s out and hopefully, soon we’ll hear from the ministers because we need the provincial, because this river crossing, we need so much as is involved than just a bridge.”

A feasibility study showed that a cost estimate for a double lane bridge, 321-metre bridge across the Fraser would cost roughly $43 million dollars.