June 01, 2015 - 6:57 PM
SASKATOON - As officials in Paris start removing 45 tons of so-called "love locks," Saskatoon is undergoing a crackdown of its own.
For a while now, couples in the Saskatchewan city have been attaching padlocks signifying their eternal love to the staircase leading to the CPR train bridge by the weir.
About 300 locks were removed in April, another 40 were cut in May and city officials say they will continue to be removed as part of regular maintenance.
City spokeswoman Angela Gardinar says the locks are viewed as property damage similar to if someone drew a heart on city property or carved their initials in a tree.
She says the locks have the potential to damage the fencing or pose a safety hazard if they rust through or come loose and fall to the path and parking lot below.
In Paris, the locks are being removed from a bridge overlooking the Eiffel Tower because their weight is threatening the structure of the bridge, from which a piece of fence broke off last year.
(CKOM)
News from © The Canadian Press, 2015