By Eileen Buckley
Fort Erie, Ontario – Buffalo and Fort Erie marked the 75th Anniversary of the Peace Bridge Wednesday. The celebration included a re-dedication ceremony and rekindled talk of bridge expansion.
The mayors of Buffalo and Fort Erie met at the international border line of the Peace Bridge over the Niagara River. Mayor Masiello joined his Canadian counterpart, Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop, to re-create the 1927 ribbon cutting ceremony. Bridge traffic was halted on both sides of the border for about 20-minutes. Then a celebration was held at Mather Park in Fort Erie.
The Peace Bridge march, written for the original bridge dedication, played under a tent. That's where Congressman John LaFalce was waiting for the event to begin. LaFalce says he was hoping the 75th anniversary would have included celebration of a new Peace Bridge twin span.
"While it's great to celebrate the past 75 years, it would have even been nicer had we been able to open up a second bridge so that we could have been going into the 21st century with two bridges," LaFalce said.
In the second half of the 19th century, it was American inventor Alonzo Mather who proposed a bridge design to connect the two countries. Much like the current controversy over a proposed Peace Bridge expansion project, Mather faced tough opposition to build a bridge that lasted nearly a decade. By 1893, he had Canadian approval, but powerful Niagara Falls interests in the U.S., worried about competition, influenced the governor to kill two bills approved by the state Legislature to build a span. Then World War I put hopes of a bridge on hold. Paul Koessler, chairman of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority board of directors, says finally by 1919, two men managed to get the bridge project started.
"Businessman William Eckert, attorney John Van Allen and industrialist Frank Baird took up the challenge," Koessler said. "They approached Mather to sell the land he acquired for his plan, which he did -- at cost. Ground breaking took place on August 17, 1925 and on June 1st, 1927 the Peace Bridge was officially opened to public traffic."
Their efforts paved the way for tourists, commuters and business to cross international waters. Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello says the Peace Bridge has become a major part of the region's history.
"We rededicate an edifice that has stood solid and strong through 75 years of season changes, swift currents, an errant barge and not a small does of controversy," Masiello said. "Sometimes I wonder, in her grace and strength, does the Peace Bridge look down and laugh at some of our trivialities."
Masiello says the North American Free Trade Agreement implemented in 1994 has turned the bridge into a "multi-faceted" trade conduit. Leaders say about $700 million in trade crosses the bridge each week. Fort Erie Mayor Redekop says the bridge has helped strengthened the economies on both sides of the border.
"Just as it did 75 years ago, the Peace Bridge also represents a fundamental component of the future prosperity of Fort Erie, the Niagara Region, Buffalo and Western New York as we embark on the 21st century," Redekop said. "The Peace Bridge was once the most traveled bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada. If we are diligent, vigilant and bold, an expanded Peace Bridge can once again be the busiest border crossing between our two nations."
An estimated 100,000 attended the 1927 opening of the Peace Bridge. Wednesday just a small crowd gathered for the anniversary party. However, it included two people who attend the original dedication. Louis Ziff, 89, former mayor of Fort Erie, was 14-years-old when the bridge opened.
"I remember a large throng of people, I remember particularly the military music," Ziff said. "I remember seeing very important people, but I didn't know who they were and didn't realize then it was the future King Edward, VIII."
Ziff says it cost just a quarter for cars to travel over the bridge, a nickle if you walked, with very few questions asked by customs. Isabel Moore, 86, of Fort Erie also remembers attending the opening of the Peace Bridge. She was only eleven.
"There were mobs and mobs of people and I lived just a block away from the bridge," she remembered.
Before there was a Peace Bridge, two ferry boats would transport passengers and cars across the border. In fact, Moore says she married one of the ferry boat captains. Both Moore and Ziff say after watching 75 years of changes and an increase in bridge traffic, they hope the proposed Peace Bridge expansion is resolved soon.
"I think the controversy is ridiculous and I think they will probably end up doing what they first planned on doing," Moore said.
"I think it is essential that they have an adjoining bridge," Ziff added. "That would be the ideal situation. Then you would have traffic going one way on one bridge, and traffic going the other way on the other bridge."
But despite the controversy over twin span or a signature bridge, those attending the celebration say the Peace Bridge has remained a symbol of peace and friendship between U.S. and Canada for 75 years.