Photo: Tara Clow.
As work continues on the new Causeway bridge between Moncton and Riverview, area residents are beginning to see a change in the Petitcodiac River.
Executive Director for the Petitcodiac Riverkeeper Krysta Cowling says the bridge is helping to return the natural flow of the river, “The Petitcodiac River has gone from one of the most endangered rivers in Canada to one of the most successful stories of restoration.”
Cowling expects we will begin to see even more growth, We’re going to see less sedimentation. We’re going to start to see fish returning to the river and other habitat that rely off of that.”
She adds it opens up the opportunity for more people to appreciate the river as another resource, “We’ve seen eco-tourism, for example. That is an industry that has been seeing tremendous growth and it is a way we can support sustainable development in the region but also economical development.”
The Causeway closed last month for six months, as work continues on the new bridge.
Sentinelles Petitcodiac Riverkeeper recently submitted a bridge name for consideration to the New Brunswick Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“Place names are an important part of our culture and geographic environment,” says Cowling. “They play a vital role in people’s sense of well-being and connection to home and community. The name Pont Petigotiag Bridge has been developed and put forth.”
Petigotiag means “river that bends like a bow” in the Mi’kmaq language. “In this spelling, used by Mi’kmaq communities in New Brunswick, the g’s are pronounced as k’s.
(Photo:TDCB)
