There will be no need to commit a new name to memory -- the Champlain Bridge will stay the Champlain Bridge after all.
In an op-ed printed in La Presse Saturday, federal Infrastructure Minster Denis Lebel spoke out about the controversy that started after word leaked that the new bridge may be named after Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice Richard.
Lebel revealed that of all the suggestions he received, Richard and explorer Samuel de Champlain, the bridge's current namesake, were the two that were repeated most often.
He wrote that Richard, who was born and died in Montreal, more than deserved having a bridge named after him.
Richard was the first player in the National Hockey League to score 50 goals in 50 games. When, in 1955, he was suspended for the remaining three games of the season after attacking a linesman, fans rioted in protest. The “Richard Riot” is now believed to have led, at least in part, to Quebec’s Quiet Revolution.
“He is one of the most popular personalities in modern Quebec. His enthusiasm, his passion, his desire to win and elegance helped make Quebecers proud of themselves and make them aware that they too could do great things,” he wrote.
But ultimately, the government decided to continue to honour Champlain, the “Father of New France,” by bestowing his name on the new bridge.
Construction is set to begin in the summer of 2015, with the new bridge expected to be open to traffic in 2018.
