Iconic swinging bridge cut in Souris

By: William Burr Posted: 1:43 PM CDT Sunday, Jul. 3, 2011 Last Modified: 2:07 PM CDT Sunday, Jul. 3, 2011 | Updates

It’s the emblem of the town, the picture on postcards and the first thing you see on the town’s website, but it’s no longer there.

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It’s the emblem of the town, the picture on postcards and the first thing you see on the town’s website, but it’s no longer there.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/07/2011 (5202 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s the emblem of the town, the picture on postcards and the first thing you see on the town’s website, but it’s no longer there.

Emergency crews cut the Souris suspension bridge, the “longest historic suspension bridge in Canada,” at 7:30 a.m. today out of fears that floodwaters would rip the bridge’s anchors out of the earth and take part of an essential earth dike with them.

The anchors that held the bridge’s cables are underneath the earth dike.

Province of Manitoba
Crews from the town of Souris, Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation and the Office of the Fire Commissioner cut the support cables on the east side of the Souris swinging bridge at 7:30 Sunday morning as a precautionary measure because of concerns the high water and flows could sweep the bridge away. — Province of Manitoba Crews from the town of Souris, Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation and the Office of the Fire Commissioner cut the support cables on the east side of the Souris swinging bridge at 7:30 Sunday morning as a precautionary measure because of concerns the high water and flows could sweep the bridge away.

The bridge slowly tipped over into the river and lay there, partially submerged, before drifting to lean against the west bank, held by the current. It poses no danger there and will most likely stay put for a while, said Charlotte Parham, the chief administrative officer for the town of approximately 1,800 people on the Souris River.

“It’s a disappointment but it’s an understandable one,” Parham said. She explained that ever since the bridge was badly damaged with the breaking up of ice in the spring, people in the town had gotten used to the fact that it was vulnerable. The bridge has been closed since April 12.

There is too much damage to repair the bridge. It will have to be re-built, Parham said.

Meanwhile, the town called in an additional 175 Canadian Forces personnel to supplement the 200 already working to place sandbags around Plum Creek in Souris.

The Souris suspension bridge is the biggest tourist attraction in Souris, and tourism is important to the town, counting for about 10 per cent of the economy, according to Mayor Darryl Jackson.

The other main Souris attractions are also closed due to the flooding. These include a bird sanctuary, a family fun pool, a golf course and a campground.

The bridge, originally built in 1904, was 582 feet long.