|
The Souris Swinging Bridge is Canada’s longest historic suspension bridge measuring 604 feet or 184 metres. It was built in 1904 by Squire W.H. Sowden as a convenience to access his property on the east bank of the river which he had allocated as farm land for grazing livestock. Sowden donated the bridge to the town in 1907 and it has evolved to become the centre of the community over the years. |
The story of the Souris Swinging Bridge is one of resilience. Flood waters first claimed the bridge in 1912, sweeping away the decking. Damaged by a cable break in 1961 and swept away again by flood in 1976, the bridge was again dismantled in 2011 when an unprecedented river flow forced Town officials to take action to prevent the bridge’s anchors from being torn from the ground and compromising the landscape in the process. |
Re-built in 2013, with a price tag of $4.5 million, the new bridge is reflective of the original design, but with long term durability in mind. The Swinging Bridge remains the town’s most famous landmark; bridging the river for 110 years, and still standing to do the same for the century ahead. |
AFTER you have seen all three sections in Manitoba, 
