The federal and provincial governments have has committed nearly $18 million to support a bridge-replacement project in northern Ontario that uses mass timber.

The Duchesnay Creek Bridge connects the City of North Bay and the Nipissing First Nation. The project to replace the bridge was completed last summer, and the bridge opened in August.

Funding from the federal and provincial governments supported the design and construction of the new replacement bridge and was made with the intention of maintaining the original timber aesthetic of the old bridge.

The bridge was built through a limited partnership of Nipissing First Nation and Miller Paving, which provided employment and training opportunities for the community.

Part of the goal of the project was to promote the use of mass timber in highway bridges. By building with wood, the project will create a total carbon benefit of 991 metric tonnes of CO₂, which is equivalent to taking more than 190 cars off the road for a full year.

"We were pleased to partner in this project to demonstrate that infrastructure can be built in new and innovative ways,” said Nipissing First Nation Chief Scott McLeod. “Not only were we successful in building a beautiful bridge that improved pedestrian safety for our members, but we also demonstrated that First Nations can lead and manage projects on this scale. We are so pleased that this bridge was built using wood and put together by our people, piece by piece, with our partners at Miller Paving."

Federal funding for the project was provided through Natural Resources Canada's Green Construction through Wood program, which encourages the use of wood in non-traditional construction projects, such as tall and low-rise non-residential buildings and bridges.

"When partners work together, great things get built and communities thrive," said Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu. "Using green construction materials and including employment and training opportunities with the local community, this project shows others how to make sure what we build as a country can help with our goals of a cleaner and more inclusive country. "

The program aims to position Canada as a world leader in innovative timber construction systems and technologies and in the low-carbon economy.