Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about the Quebec Bridge and why it must be maintained.
A bridge that links two public roads is an infrastructure used by the public. It is used every day. More than 35,000 vehicles cross this bridge each day. Some people walk across the bridge, others take the train.
In the beginning, this bridge was built to allow trains to cross from the south shore to the north shore and vice versa. It was the last transcontinental link to be built. The federal government retained ownership of the Quebec Bridge for 75 years, from 1918 to 1993.
As for CN, which was a crown corporation at the time, it has been responsible for maintaining the bridge since 1923. The relationship between CN and the Quebec Bridge has lasted for more than 90 years. It is extraordinary and rare to see that in our country.
The Quebec Bridge is more than just a bridge. It is a postcard image for the Quebec City region. I do not know whether members are aware of this, but the bridge will soon celebrate its 100th anniversary in the very same year that Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary. This infrastructure has a long history.
Moreover, it was built using a technique that is no longer in use. It is a cantilever bridge. It is and it will forever remain the world's longest cantilever bridge. That is certain. On May 23, 1987, the bridge was declared an international historic civil engineering monument by Canadian and American engineers. That is quite something.
However, since the 1980s, we have only seen cuts to the bridge's budget and maintenance. The structure had been carefully maintained from the 1920s to the 1980s, but that is no longer the case. Rust is beginning to appear. If we stop maintaining the bridge, or if we begin to slack off, we lose control, and that is exactly what is happening. On November 22, 2005, the former auditor general was already saying that something should be done.
Who would buy a car with no paint on it, even if we were told that it is nice, well built, and safe? Would anyone buy that car?
Here is my question for the government: is paint strictly a cosmetic and heritage issue?