Geoff Mueller Castlegar News Reporter

Uniting community stakeholders in a bid to reopen the Brilliant Suspension Bridge as a regional park is step one in bringing the project to fruition, says J.J. Verigin, Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ spokesperson

"Bridges serve a very important symbolic role and that's why we think it's a worthwhile project," he adds.

A draft feasibility study for a regional park encompassing the Brilliant Suspension Bridge over Kootenay River went to a public meeting last week at the Brilliant Cultural Centre. More than 50 attendees, including Regional District representatives Gordon Zaitsoff and John Voykin, expressed unanimous support for the project.

The next step is to tabulate public response before making a formal presentation to the regional board.

Consultant Donald Barchman, of Nelson, presented his 16-page report on Brilliant Suspension Bridge Regional Park. Barchman said he felt optimistic about the project but there were various hurdles left to conquer

"It's a feasibility study so nothing is cast in stone with this," he stressed. "It's also a draft feasibility study at this time and it will be going back to the restoration committee and regional district board for their consideration.

Concerns left to tackle include generating funds to pay for the $800,000 restoration as well as convincing the City of Castlegar to throw its support Zaitsoff said the Ministry of Transportation has committed $150,000 - about $100,000 less than their costs to tear it down. Barchman offered that the restoration could be done for significantly less and felt money was attainable "It's always a concern because the cost of doing this bridge properly, to historic standards, are very high - over $800,000," he said. "But there is money there from a variety of sources ... various organizations, heritage and legacy groups and provincial funding possibilities

"It's a matter of going out and identifying where that funding is and actually putting in the applications. Getting in line."

Although there was no City of Castlegar representation at the meeting, Mayor Mike O'Connor, in an interview with the News, questioned the project's merit

"I've been involved in the thing for 20 years, it's going nowhere and it's very expensive and it's very difficult to get people involved," he argued. The city cannot justify charging taxpayers a significant sum for services lying outside city boundaries.

There are cheaper ways of doing it, O'Connor offered, but those options are a ways down the road yet

Zaitsoff, however, said the time for progress is now. There's a window of opportunity for political support and to secure funds that closes after 2008. "It's key that all players come together and local governments agree ... from there it's fairly simple," he concluded.