ARCOLA - This past week, demolition of the Moose Mountain Creek bridge seven kilometers south of Arcola began.
According to Kevin Paton, the son of the late Adrian Paton, a well-known historian, the Moose Mountain Creek Bridge was built by contractor John Spry of Lumsden in 1931. It stood the test of time but crumbling pillars and foundation had added it to the provincial replacement list.
The bridge was located on the south 604 Grid Road in the Rural Municipality of Brock. Larry Gordon is the Reeve and Lucas Hislop is the councillor for division 1. Scott Hengen lives near the bridge on the west side, Graham Carter on the east. The Paton family has farmed land that is near the bridge for decades.
Kevin Paton has fond memories about the bridge. As a boy he spent countless hours there while his father tended to the land. Said Kevin: “When I think of the bridge, my first thought is always around the cliff swallows. They have built their nests under its arches since the bridge was built and these beautiful birds are still there today.
“As well, I was always on the lookout for the shy and elusive painted turtles. We swam in the creek, did cannonball dives from the bridge, and of course there was fishing there.”
It was also noted that many Arcola residents have used the bridge as a photo backdrop for weddings, graduations and family reunions.
Added Paton, “Many of us have stood on its arches, and in fact, many of us remember when a fellow by the name of Mathew Warner once rode his bicycle over the arch.”
Paton also provided another interesting observation: “As you can see from the photos, this bridge is very narrow and with the size of vehicles and farm machinery today, one must be very careful when crossing. In fact, to my recollection, I have never heard of any fatalities.”
Judy Naylen, teacher at Arcola School since 1983, says this bridge is special to many people in the local community. It has special memories for her because every year the school would use this bridge as the Terry Fox Run turnaround point. “The whole school would walk to this bridge and back each year for the Terry Fox Run. It was a welcome sight for all, knowing that we were halfway.”
Ken McMillan remembers crossing this bridge every day to and from school. He recalls a time where his dad got the air seeder caught on this bridge in the 1990s. And his mom and dad both swear they saw a bear on it coming home from a dine and dance in the early 1980s.
RM of Brock administrator Miranda Debusschere also provided some financial details. The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan posted the replacement of this bridge on their government website in February 2021.
The project details read “Replace the existing bridge with a new pre-cast concrete and steel bridge.” Federal funding amounted to $166,650, provincial funding was $333,350, and municipal/other funding was $700,000. Allnorth Consultants is the engineering firm, G Ungar Construction of Maryfield is the contractor doing the work for the bridge replacement.
