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Sudbury’s got a lock 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.
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Cut: Love locks hang from a fence overlooking the train yard in downtown Sudbury. The romantic phenomenon is just starting to catch on here in the Nickel City. Photo by Shannon O'Connor.
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 to public structures such as bridges, gates, or railings, to symbolize the couple's lifelong commitment to each other.

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

Love locks were to blame for the partial collapse of Paris’ famous Pont des Arts bridge in June. This is the footbridge connecting 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 on the bridge at the moment, weighing in at an average of eight ounces each or about 23.5 pounds total, 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's taxpayers who must dish out for the costly repairs to the public structures.

Critics argue the locks are an eyesore, similar to graffiti, and that they actually detract from the city's beauty. Some call it an act of vandalism. It remains to be seen what will become of these love locks in Paris.

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

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

I suppose the answer depends on whether the locks detract from the beauty of the bridge. As most people from Sudbury know, the old iron bridge is old and rusty — and barely white anymore, as it hangs over the train tracks.

But if you, like me, are a fan of shabby chic, then this is the bridge for you. I love it because the love locks add to its shabby chicness.

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

According to Wikipedia, there is a legend that states when love locks are affixed in pairs over train tracks, 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, now is the time to run and remove your lock.)

If the locks do come off the bridge in Paris, Sudbury may be able to get a lock on the title City of Love.

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