Discussions

The Souris Suspension Bridge (The Swinging Bridge) is about to swing back into action.  
 
Mayor Darryl Jackson said that not having the community’s number one Tourist Attraction since 2011 has made a significant impact.  
 
The Tourist trade has all but dried up. The Hillcrest Museum located next to the Bridge used to get 500 visitors a week, but since the loss of the Bridge they have plummeted to about 50.  
 
During the high Souris River levels of 2011, local officials were forced to sever the Landmark Bridge, due to fears the rushing water would pull out the Bridges anchors and damage an important Earth Dike, placing the whole town in jeopardy.  
 
The new Bridge has cost $4-million and now has a different support structure, sits higher over the water and spans 184 meters, making it once again the longest Swinging Bridge in Canada.  
 
The new Swinging Bridge will open today, Saturday for a week long trial so Engineers can recalibrate the Bridge and get it ready for the big Official Grand Opening which will take place on the 17th August.  
 
The first swinging Bridge of Souris, (Plumb Creek) was built in 1904 by ‘Squire’ William Henry Sowden to help him sell land on the east bank of the Souris River.  
 
In 1872 a Dominion Act was passed to allow any person of over twenty one years of age to apply for one hundred sixty acres of Virgin Prairie in western Canada. It was called the “Homestead Act”, but a little known Clause in the Act permitted Colonization Companies the Right to purchase large blocks of land if they agreed to attract Settlers to start farms and businesses.  
 
In July of 1880 the Millbrook group was formed of which Squire Sowden was a member and they sold land for $3 an acre, but had paid $2.50 for it.  
 
On the 27th April 1881 the first Sowden settlers arrived at the Souris Town Site, (Plum Creek) and began building, but Squire Sowden also owned much of the land on the east side of the River in the Municipal Subdivision of Idlewylde and realized that the only way to sell it was to install a Foot Bridge to give easy access to Down Town.  
 
His Bridge was only three feet wide, (1 metre) and extended for a distance of five hundred, eighty two feet, (177.4 metres). Two wire cables supported it and the structure was made of some boards nailed to four by fours, to give a feeling of safety page wire was run along each side at about arm pit high.  
 
Everything worked well for about a month when the Bridge was attacked by a strong wind which flipped it over, but did not damage it. Squire Sowden just flipped it back and added extra guide wires to the platform.  
 
The Bridge was operated like this for a few years when it was donated to the town and they added more cables which were anchored to Concrete Blocks buried into the embankment.  
 
Squire Sowden has remained famous because of his Bridge which is the longest of its type, (Catwalk) in Canada and one of the best known Swinging Bridges in North America.  
 
Ice took out the Bridge in 1976 and funds to rebuild it were raised by selling one square inch of it to sponsor’s who received a Certificate of ownership, so it was rebuilt the following year.  
 
Note #1. The Souris, (French for mouse) River was at first unnamed, but to get the cables across the River from one side to another Squire Sowden tied a thread to the leg of a mouse and watched it as it swam across the River to the other side.  
 
When it reached the other bank he attached thicker and thicker lines to the first thread until he had stretched his cables for the Bridge across the River. This is how the River became called the Souris River, I might add that I cannot find conformation in print for this Urban Legend.  
 
Note #2. On the 2nd April 2005, the Canadian Postal Service featured the Swinging Bridge on a 50c stamp.  
 
Note #3. Squire Sowden died on the 26th April 1907 and is buried in the Glenwood/Souris Cemetery.  
 
Note #4. The photo image is of the new Swinging Bridge. (Town of Souris)  
 
Source: CBC News.  
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/pageant/02/swingingbridge.shtml  
 
Every Stone a Story  
by Charles Brawn and Dale Brawn  
Great Plains Publications, 2008.  
ISBN 978-1-894283-79-3  
 
http://www.bridgemeister.com/pic.php?pid=776  
 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151784628762631&l=67ef60c8cb

that they have finally replaced this historic landmark. Sad to say it will never be the same and never "swing" like the good 'ol days

Smilin said "that they have finally replaced this historic landmark. Sad to say it will never be the same and never "swing" like the good 'ol days "

It looks pretty taught.

Great story/history, thanks for sharing! Our family is heading that way today, does that mean its open to public today, or just the engineers etc? Thanks!

I guess it came down to are we going to have history, or are we going to have the longest suspension bridge in Canada. Do I think that we have lost something, yes I think that we have. The title of longest suspension bride in Canada can be a fleeting thing, and can be changed by the mere stroke of a pen in another part of our country. But a bridge that was built in very close comparison to the original would have preserved the history of the town and bridge as well.  
 
These are just my thoughts and in a way I am glad that it is back for the sake of the future of the town.

From my understanding it is going to be open for use by the general public starting at around noon today. so come out and enjoy yourselves.

I can not wait to try this new bridge, I have anticipated every moment leading up to this re-opening. My understanding this bridge is nearly a marvel of technology, it's extremely cool. Safety first, this bridge has it all, the choice to have lights for night time walks is amazing!  
 
For historical purposes: we have lots of pictures of the old bridge.  
 
For progression: how far would you have to travel to walk across a brand new 21st Century bridge this long?  
 
This new structure in Manitoba is unique, take your time to come out and enjoy!

The bridge is now open with access to both sides. Please come check it out and give feedback to the town as advised on signage. They are looking for feedback on the motion of the bridge. Ie to much or not enough. It is only open for a week. At that point it'll be closed for tweaking based off feedback.  
 
The bridge has a surprising amount of movement. Not up and down (ripple) or side to side, (moving of center line left or right) but standing on the deck facing either end you right leg, left leg will go up and down substantially.  
 
Please check it out before you write it off.  
 
Thanks.

been waiting patiently. So glad to hear it's done! If we go past there tomorrow, we'll definitely be stopping to see it. I've got to remember my camera.  
 
I'm really glad we got pictures with the old bridge. Time moves on...lol.  
 
Edited by Mandy6, 2013-08-03 18:20:56

The bridge was temporarily opened yesterday and will be open till next Sunday. It was opened for the aug Long weekend and all that is left is some landscaping around the site.

katak101 said "The bridge was temporarily opened yesterday and will be open till next Sunday. It was opened for the aug Long weekend and all that is left is some landscaping around the site. "

Thanks for the update. Looks like a nice touch with the lighting!

I'm working on a blog post about the history of the bridge. At Peel's they have great collection of ca. 1910 images of the structure !  
 
http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/search/?search=raw&pageNumber=1&field=body&rawQuery=souris&index=postcards

Her eis an image of the ca. 1904 bridge after being washed away in 1976. http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/archives/tribune/photographs/display_photo.php?id=1612

Anybody check it out? Thoughts?

The other day, and although it is a very nice bridge, I thought it didn't have enough movement. They will have to call it the suspension bridge rather than the swinging bridge. It is great that they made it wheelchair accessible, now people that couldn't use it have full access, kudos to the town for doing this

Made the drive out today to take a look (preview goes until tomorrow for anyone else thats wanting to do the same) and added a few pics.

a cable snapping in 1961 when three nurses where on the bridge, and they fell to the ice. My aunt was one of those nurses. She was not physically hurt, but was never mentally the same after.  
 
"The historic swinging bridge across the Souris River at Souris tipped sideways as a cable snapped. Three employees of the Souris Hospital, Lillian Blackwell of Harding, Bernice Charles of Minnedosa and Elizabeth Kischuk of Winnipeg, were crossing from the hospital side to town. All three were taken to Souris hospital with minor injuries."

learned alot more about the bridge that I never knew before. I have a simple question for someone "in the know", and that is: why wasn't the bridge kept more to the original design for authenticity's sake? I am guessing the new bridge is much stronger, and will most likely last much longer, but I guess I just have a preference for restoration over rebuilding.  
 
Looks like I have something to go and visit on Sunday as well.  

We give the new bridge two thumbs up. We're going to miss the old bridge, but the new one feels much better in regards to safety.  
 
The safety wire mesh along the sides has cable that runs along the bottom of the wire and through the hardware of the bridge. Seems very secure in regards to the young children crossing on the bridge. The bridge is wider which is nice, and the sides being higher is comforting.  
 
But the part I was in awe of was the size of the cable that was used...wow! And the size of the nuts at the ends to tighten the cable, we were thinking we would like to see the wrench that fits on those nuts..lol. This cable makes the old cable look so tiny in comparison.  
 
We were on it last sunday, and while it doesn't have the bounce it used to have, when you get out to the middle it moves around more than I was thinking it would.  
 
Still the best part of all hands down...all of the friendly people you see on the bridge.  
 
 
I forgot to mention...while we didn't see the bridge lights in operation, the lights in the pictures look really nice.  
 
 
Edited by Mandy6, 2013-08-11 00:33:38

Just came from Souris and the bridge was lit up!

My latest blog post is a look back at the history of Souris's suspension bridge and the man who made it happen:  
 
http://westenddumplings.blogspot.ca/2013/08/a-look-back-at-souris-swinging-bridge.html

Anybody know when it will open again? We went down earlier in the week and it was closed.

Interested in knowing if the bridge will be open on Sunday August 18? Would like to take a drive and see it.  
 
I am glad to hear it's more stable!! I haven't been there since a field trip in probably grade 5 or 6 and I was terrified of it LOL I have a fear of heights and the swinging motion didn't help!

Have crossed the bridge a few times now and no i don't think it's as bouncy. But I did have my kids and some of their friends on there and it will swing. I also LOVE the fact. That it's got lights going all the way across it's so pretty at night I have even passed a few people pushing strollers and it wasn't quite as easy before. The bridge wll be open again this saturday August 17th at noon for good except when they are landscaping then one side at a time will be closed.

Awesome thank you! I think we will make a day out of it and come see the bridge and then spend the afternoon at the water park. Am I reading the website right, it is open for public swim at 1pm on weekends?

the pool is open from 1-530 i think. everyday for public swim. there are also a few other things to do they have tons of walking trails that are up by the old oak tree and a look out tower you can see the whole town pretty much. the barge is NOT in operation this year but the museums are great

souris69 said "the pool is open from 1-530 i think. everyday for public swim. there are also a few other things to do they have tons of walking trails that are up by the old oak tree and a look out tower you can see the whole town pretty much. the barge is NOT in operation this year but the museums are great "

Don't forget the Rock Shop!!

Kilroy 4295 dash J said "learned alot more about the bridge that I never knew before. I have a simple question for someone "in the know", and that is: why wasn't the bridge kept more to the original design for authenticity's sake? I am guessing the new bridge is much stronger, and will most likely last much longer, but I guess I just have a preference for restoration over rebuilding.     Looks like I have something to go and visit on Sunday as well.   "

From What I understand, there were new rules and regulations regarding how the bridge had to be constructed. This was a close as they could get to the original designs. There were other designs that the town turned down, that would have made the bridge look different, with little to no movement. They chose the best option!!  

We are going to head down this weekend to check out the bridge and the pool.  
 
Does anyone know if part of Victoria park has been restored? I've heard that it's been partially resoded and a new playstructure?

souris69 said "the pool is open from 1-530 i think. everyday for public swim. there are also a few other things to do they have tons of walking trails that are up by the old oak tree and a look out tower you can see the whole town pretty much. the barge is NOT in operation this year but the museums are great "

Thanks looking forward to our day at Souris tomorrow!!