Trail bridge dedicated to volunteer, late Ed Christie
Members of the snowmobile community gathered at the new Ed Christie Memorial Bridge Tuesday for a dedication ceremony in honour of the man who was instrumental in the artery’s planning.
Construction of the bridge over Batteaux Creek, at Concession 6 and 30/31 Sideroad, was completed this month and is an essential snowmobile trail link, said Blue Mountain Snowdrifters Snowmobile Club president Claudio Sulpizi.
“Today, we gather here to celebrate not just the completion of this bridge but also to pay tribute to a man whose legacy will be forever remembered,” said Sulpizi. “I stand before you with great pride as we dedicate this bridge to the memory of a true leader, our beloved friend, Mr. Ed Christie.”
Sulpizi described Christie as a dedicated and passionate volunteer who contributed countless hours to the snowmobile club.
Christie, a resident of Nottawa, was elected to Clearview council in 2018 and died suddenly in November 2019 at the age of 79. Prior to his death, he had been working with partners to secure approvals from landowners and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA).
“It was his dream to get this bridge built during his lifetime,” said Sulpizi. “He put in a lot of hard work and attended countless meetings and made phone calls to get all the permits in place. His efforts and dedication certainly did not go unnoticed.”
“Although he is not here with us today, we all know that Ed is watching over us right now. In fact, we are lucky to have his brother George in attendance,” continued Sulpizi. “George Christie has also been an integral part in the creation of many of the trails that we have come to enjoy. We owe the Christie family a big thank you for all the work that have done and continue to do making trails in the local area.”
The bridge project was funded by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club with an initial $565,000 contribution and an additional $25,000 from the Ontario ATV Club to install the guard rails. Clearview Township also contributed $10,000 which helped get the project started.
Sulpizi also thanked surrounding landowners who allowed temporary access to their properties until the project was finalized.
He also thanked the NVCA for granting permission for this project
He explained that because the bridge crosses the Batteaux Creek at a curve it needed to be quite long. Mayor Doug Measures described the process with the NVCA as a battle.
“We kicked them,” he said, to a round of applause from the crowd.
