'Important part of the St. Vital community': The repairs coming to Elm Park Bridge
An iconic Winnipeg landmark is getting a makeover.
The latest multi-year city budget has allocated $2,088,000 for repairs to the 109-year-old Elm Park Bridge, which connects the St. Vital and Fort Rouge neighbourhoods over the Red River.
St. Vital councillor Brian Mayes said he is excited to get the project on the books, even though it may still be a few years away. "Clean up the steel trusses … do some work with painting and coating, a lot of rust out here," said Mayes.
He said the bridge – which first opened in 1914 - has become an important part of St. Vital culture. "It was certainly threatened when it closed to vehicle traffic in the sixties," said Mayes. "I think the plan was to take it out - but the residents fought to keep it."
The project will include structural steel repairs, surface preparation, and recoating of the existing structural steel trusses. "Some of that needs to be cleaned up, replaced, modernized. And we've never really done the coating, done the painting that we need to do," said Mayes.
He added the recoating of the trusses will also improve the aesthetics of the bridge, making it look much nicer.
Mayes said the bridge has become hugely important to the community. "The people in my ward who use the bus rapid transit come across here and go over to Jubilee station," he said. "Or if you running the half marathon, you run across here."
He said the bridge has also been a big part of his life, "I ran across this (while) training in high school. I still run across this decades later, so it’s a pretty important part of the St. Vital community."
Mayes said some bridge repairs took place before he took over as councillor ion 2011. The concrete piers and bridge deck were repaired, and new bicycle height railings added.
He said the bridge's long life speaks to the strength of the community. "It's amazing," said Mayes. "That it's still going is a testament to the people around here, and I want to keep it going."
He hopes to be running over the Elm Park Bridge for years to come. "Maybe if I make it to age 103, I'm here for the 150th anniversary, hopefully I can make that."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.