Heritage Canada The National Trust is calling on the Yukon government to abandon its plans to demolish the Ross River Suspension Bridge.

In a letter sent Thursday to Community Services Minister Brad Cathers, Natalie Bull, the organization's executive director, writes that stopping the demolition would allow more time for heritage conservation experts to review options for sustaining "this important Yukon heritage and tourism asset.”

Heritage Canada The National Trust is a charity that works to preserve historic sites and structures.

"As I'm sure you know, the Ross River Suspension Bridge is an exceptional example of engineering ingenuity, associated with Canada's participation in World War II,” Bull continues in the letter.

"It was built in 1943 as part of the Canol pipeline system to supply the Allied war effort to the west coast of North America that was then under threat,” she notes, adding that the bridge was an integral part of the supply line.

With more time, alternate sources of funding to preserve the bridge could be found, Bull writes, noting that Heritage Canada The National Trust "would be pleased to support those efforts.”

The organization already has a potential funding source in mind – the federal government's recently announced Legacy Fund.

The fund, administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage, "indicates the federal government's national priority for commemorating the 75th anniversary of Canada's participation in World War II,” she writes.

The fund can be applied to projects aimed at restoring, renovating or transforming existing buildings or exterior spaces with local community significance.

"As one of this county's remaining (Second World War)-era engineered structures, the Ross River Suspension Bridge would be a logical candidate for this,” says Bull.

Robert Wills, a local engineer who's focused his 35-year career on pedestrian bridges and wants to see the bridge preserved, argues that from an engineering perspective, it can be repaired.

Wills told the Star Wednesday the bridge could be made safe for its original load capacity of 100 people for less than the $1.1 million the Yukon government committed to spend on repairs last summer.

When the Yukon government committed to repair the bridge in June 2013, it planned to upgrade the structure to serve a load capacity of 600 people and to line its sides with wire mesh.

Wills explained that in his estimation, the bridge's towers could be levelled out and the cracked steel could be repaired by welding, allowing the historic structure to be used by the community in the same fashion it was prior to its closure in August 2012, for about $300,000.

If the government won't commit to repair the bridge immediately, Wills wants minor repairs done to stabilize the towers so the bridge can be repaired in the future.

"As a civil/structural engineer, I take value in the infrastructure that we build,” he said.

"It's a waste of resources and an unsustainable practice to demolish structures unnecessarily, whether it's through lack of funding, negligence, or war.

"The question we need to ask is: are we going to demolish all of our infrastructure when it becomes close to the end of life?

"Are we going to demolish all of our houses when they are 25 years old? Are we going to demolish all of our public buildings when they are 50 years old?

"Are we going to demolish all of our bridges when they're 75 years old? Are we going to destroy all of our cars when they're 10 years old?” Wills said.

"Why do we keep cars more than 10 years? Because some of them are classics, and this bridge is a classic. It's the longest suspension foot bridge in North America and deserves an opportunity to have an extended life.”

Community Services Minister Brad Cathers noted Wednesday afternoon the strong recommendation the government received from the engineering firm David Nairne and Associates to demolition the bridge in the interest of public safety last Sept. 30.

An engineer with the firm was conducting assessment for the planned repairs when he discovered the serious nature of the bridge's condition and alerted the government.

"When government receives that type of strong recommendation from an engineer that's been contracted to review a structure, we of course have to take that quite seriously,” the minister said.

A second opinion by Stantec also recommended the government demolish the bridge, Cathers noted.

In recognition of the structure's heritage value, the demolition contract is to remove the dangerous aspects of the bridge, and the government expects the bridge towers will remain standing.

"When we've been informed to a potential risk, we believe that we have to err on the side of public safety and prioritize public safety and human life over protection of a heritage resource,” Cathers said.

"We are erring on the side of public safety, and we will do what is reasonable and practical to save the towers and see what other elements of the bridge can be salvaged.”

The government has made no decisions about potentially replacing the bridge, if the demolition proceeds, to provide the community with access to the far side of the Pelly River and Tu Lidlini, the original site of the community of Ross River, home to the Dena Cho statue, a graveyard and several year-round residences.

Cathers said the government is prepared to consult with the community for options going forward.

Minister Cathers confirmed today that he has received Bull's letter, but maintains the government has a responsibility to err on the side of public safety.