The City of Ottawa says it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix lighting infrastructure along the Chief William Commanda Bridge after the popular pedestrian path over the Ottawa River was subject to vandalism this week. Barrie Forrester, section manager of street and community lighting for the City of Ottawa, says the damage requires replacement of electrical wire, ductwork, junction boxes and hand hole covers. Forrester says the damage “appears to be the result of vandalism and theft” and estimates the cost to replace the stolen infrastructure to be approximately $230,000. The city didn’t say how long it would take for the repairs to be made. It follows a similar incident on a pedestrian pathway between the Pimisi and Bayview O-Train stations in LeBreton Flats, where wires were removed from the trail lights last week. CTV News Ottawa found tape covering the wires along the pathway on Wednesday. “While the incidents are similar in nature, we cannot confirm whether they are connected or involved the same individuals,” Forrester said.
