RM celebrates opening of Bridge of Pioneers

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This article was published 29/08/2023 (674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A large crowd gathered on Aug. 17 to officially open the newly constructed Bridge of Pioneers in La Broquerie.

“It’s an emotional day for me and for a lot of people in this community. I live on this trail and I see hundreds of people per day walking here appreciating this bridge and Russ (Edwards) had decided to honour the pioneers of our community,” said Coun. Laurent Tétrault.

The covered steel bridge is located on a trail system alongside the La Broquerie Golf Course. On the inside are all the names of the pioneers who established themselves in the La Broquerie area between 1875-1940. It cost $500,000 to construct the bridge, which was designed to provincial highway standards. It was paid and built by Edwards who is a former La Broquerie native and steel magnate who owns Westman Group Inc.

“The project started two years ago when Larry (Tétrault) inquired whether our company would be able to assist the community with a bridge across the Siene River,” said Edwards. “This river was an important part of my life 75 years ago. When I was about 15 (years old), I often went swimming and fishing in the Siene River with my brother and my friends. I thought about this project for a few days as to how I could further make this bridge a historical event and came up with the idea that we should honour the pioneers that first migrated to this area and settled in the era of Louis Riel. It’s indeed an honour for my family and myself to be able to donate this beautiful Bridge of Pioneers that will last for generations for the community of La Broquerie.”

Tétrault said he got the idea to build a covered bridge over water when he was a child and saw a Christmas card with the structure on the front cover. He pledged one day if he had the opportunity he would build such a bridge. Tétrault believes this is the only covered bridge in Manitoba that goes over a waterway.

“I’ve played a part in this special project, but to have a project like this you need a community, you need council members to say yes. You need taxpayers to say yes. This is a great idea. It’s not a one man show to build a community it takes a lot of people and a lot of effort…,” he said.

“This bridge is a good thing for me and all the community. I’m so glad I thought of it and I’m glad I met with him and this is the result. And it is biblical – you ask and you shall receive. And La Broquerie receives this huge gift from Russ and Edna Edwards and I don’t know the words to thank them for what they’ve done for us.”