Harvest Moon Oral History

4. Rail Bridge

The original Canadian Pacific Railway Bridge was built in 1885. The wooden pile and trestle construction was erected on “Mile 21” and opened up the area to the west. The original blueprints indicate a length of 745 feet and a height of 80 feet from low water. The wooden bridge was washed out in a flood and replaced in 1923. During 1947 a local carpenter, Gordon Elliot rebuilt eleven trestles on the bridge. During the 1950’s trains supplied almost all of the needs of the community. The bridge was used until 1969 when ice pressure washed out part of the bridge. In 1979 the bridge was replaced with a steel beam and concrete structure. In its current form the bridge spans 292 feet across and is 55 feet above the road that runs under it. The bridge was last used by CPR in 2001. After the rail line was decommissioned the land was sold to rural municipalities, land owners and private interests.  In 2015, Robert and Minnie Guilford purchased the bridge and with the help of the community converted it to a pedestrian friendly skyway.