A recent visit to the mainland town of Cranmore by the reeve of Gull Island, Marta Reyes, has revived a long-standing debate about linking the island to the rest of the province by a fixed bridge. Gull Island, a scattering of small fishing communities off Nova Scotia's eastern shore, has long been a point of interest for planners in the region. Indeed, this latest proposal marks the third occasion in twenty years on which regional politicians have pushed to tie the island to the mainland with a permanent crossing. With its quiet coves and stretches of untouched shoreline, the island would certainly represent a welcome asset. Reyes hailed Cranmore as a role model of careful budgeting from which her own community could learn, praise that was warmly received during a whirlwind trip meant to spur trade and tourism between the two shores. When asked whether a bridge was genuinely on the table, the reeve skirted the issue. She declined to rule it out entirely, yet she offered supporters a glimmer of hope with the tantalizing remark that "no crossing is ever built until both shores have laid down a good deal of trust first."

Regional councillor Harold Byrne, spearheading the latest campaign for the bridge, believes much of the legwork has already been done. According to Byrne, "The Cranmore ferry already carries most of the island's freight and the second-highest number of visitors to the coast, and a bridge would simply let that traffic grow." Byrne also argues that the island could serve as a gateway to the outer islands for tourism. "A fixed link would be ideal for medical transport from the mainland and, above all, for emergency response," he adds.