SUDBURY'S LOCK ON LOVE

Locked on love

You can add Sudbury to the growing list of cities around the world where the trend known as love locking has taken hold.

Love locks, which are locks bearing the initials of sweethearts, are affixed by the sweethearts to public structures such as bridges, gates, or railings, that symbolize their lifelong commitment to each other.

As romantic as this trend might be to some, there can be costly consequences, especially and coincidentally, for the City of Love.

Love locks were to blame for the partial collapse of  Paris' famous bridge, the Pont des Arts, in June 2014. This is the footbridge that connects the neighbourhood of Saint Germain to the Louvre museum. It is estimated that the number of locks on this bridge weighs 10 tons. That is some heavy love!

Ironically, this is just about the time when love locks started appearing in Sudbury on the old white iron footbridge that connects Edmund Street with Elgin Street. 

With only 47 locks in total presently on the bridge, weighing in at an average of 8 ounces each for about a total of 23.5 pounds,  it is certainly in no danger of collapsing. Love seems to be on the lighter side in Sudbury, at least for the time being.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Paris, and other major cities in the grip of  this trend, are not swept away by the romance of love locks on public property since it is the taxpayers who must dish out for the costly repairs to these public structures.

Most also say they are an eyesore, similar to graffiti, and that they actually detract from the city's beauty. Some go so far as to say that affixing these locks to public property is an act of vandalism.

Dublin, Florence, and Toronto are three cities that have already had love locks removed from public sites due to structural and aesthetic concerns. 

Other cities, such as Bamberg and Cologne faced such vehement public opposition to having the locks removed, that they backed down and let the love symbols stand.

So what does the future hold for Sudbury's footbridge of love? 

Does it detract from the beauty of the bridge? As most people from Sudbury know, the old Iron Bridge is old and rusty and barely white - it is also situated over a train yard.

The old white bridge is absolutely stunning if you, like me, are a fan of shabby chic. I love it! And the love locks add to its shabby chicness. 

And Sudbury sweethearts who choose to participate in the practice of love locking in the Nickel City, have an added magical element that is lacking in the so-called City of Love. 

According to Wikipedia, yes I said it...according to Wikipedia, there is a legend that says, when love locks are affixed in pairs over train stations, they create a magnetic field generated by the trains passing underneath that results in an energy that is akin to wish fulfillment. (Anybody who wasn't serious when they locked on, run and remove your lock  - NOW!)

Now that the locks have been removed from the bridge in Paris, Sudbury may be able to get a lock on the title the City of Love. 

Just as long as the City doesn't actually get involved.

Update: Toronto dismantled the love locks, but built a structure to securely hold the locks in place in the Distillery district. The locks form a heart and spell out the words L-O-V-E. 

Love Street

I love it!