A Message from Councillor King
Dear Residents:
I write with profound disappointment following last week’s announcement that the Government of Canada is moving forward with the next phase of the Kettle Island Bridge project through a first phase of public consultation. Despite more than five decades of community opposition and compelling evidence against this proposal, the federal government continues to pursue what I believe is a fundamentally flawed infrastructure project.
As your representative, I have consistently opposed this bridge because it fails to serve our community’s best interests. The evidence is clear: studies show that even by 2050, this bridge would divert only 15 per cent of truck traffic from King Edward Avenue. This means the vast majority of heavy trucks would continue to rumble through our downtown core, leaving the very problem the bridge purports to solve largely unresolved.
I am pleased to report that we have strong support from our federal representative in this opposition. On June 25, Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester MP Mona Fortier released a statement firmly opposing the Eastern Bridge project. She echoed many of our community’s concerns, noting that the proposed corridor “does not meet Ottawa’s needs” and “does not guarantee the removal of heavy trucks from the King Edward corridor.” MP Fortier emphasized that with an estimated cost between $3 billion and $4 billion, this project “represents a major investment that does not offer clear or equitable benefits for our region.” Based on her conversations with residents and community associations, she has concluded that “this project is not a priority.”
Click on this link to continue reading: June 27, 2025 Newsletter – Councillor Rawlson King