Pont Jacques-Cartier

Pont Jacques-Cartier, originally uploaded by susanvg.

This is part of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge which spans the St. Laurence River. I love its grace. Built in the 1920s and opened in 1930, it was the first bridge connecting Montreal Island to the South Shore which accommodated cars. In summer the bridge closes when the Fireworks Festival is held. People line the bridge to get a good view as the pyrotechnics are set off at La Ronde amusement park just east of the bridge.

It's hard to image Montreal without the bridges, the tunnel and the metro which connect it to the mainland. At one time, ferries and ice bridges were the only way to bring goods from one shore to the next. In between seasons when the ice was forming or breaking up must have been treacherous. Now the river rarely freezes completely. But even bridges can be treacherous in inclement weather. In our infamous ice storm of 1998, bridges were closed as the ice which had build up on the girders began to crash down.

I found a site about the bridge and was surprised to learn that one of the members of the design team Joseph B. Strauss, went on to design the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Day 140: La Ronde and the Bridge

Day 140: La Ronde and the Bridge, originally uploaded by susanvg.

After a day long meeting at the Ministry of Education in a windowless room I stepped into the sunshine. The ministry is located near the river. The Jacques Cartier Bridge can be see here, crossing to the south shore. On this side of the bridge on an island is La Ronde, our local amusement park. I have never been a fan of amusement parks as I suffer from motion sickness; my idea of fun has never been to twirl, race, hang upside down or any other activity that brings on nausea. I am always amused by the juxtaposition of the bridge and the rides as I think of some drivers who treat their cars as rides in amusement parks, speeding, winding in and out of lanes and peeling around corners.

Which is the ride? - the roller coasters or the bridge?