New Kinsmen Bridge opened on July 2

A piper led the Legion colour party, dignitaries and members of the public across the Kinsmen Bridge after the official ribbon cutting on July 2. Besides the opening of the bridge, the occasion also marked the opening of the rejuvenated entrance to the Veteran’s Memorial Walkway. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Connections was a recurring theme that was repeated through various speakers as the rebuilt Kinsmen Bridge and adjoining Veteran’s Memorial Walkway were opened last Thursday.

About 100 people turned out for the event to hear dignitaries and citizens speak prior to a piper and the Legion colour party leading the way across the bridge.

“The bridge is not the most important part of today,” said Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman. “The most important part is the community that built the bridge.”

Mayor Deb Gilvesy paid heed to the history of the bridge, which is 138 years old.

“Originally built as a railway bridge, it was converted to a pedestrian crossing in the 1990s,” she said. “Today, it serves approximately 500 to 700 pedestrians daily, and remains a vital connection between residential neighbourhoods and the downtown core.”

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BRIDGE FACTS

• The Kinsmen Bridge is 106 meters or 347 feet in length

• The bridge consists of three sections, measuring 35 meters, or 114 feet each

• From the bridge deck to the park below is a distance of nearly 20 meters, or 64 feet.

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With the original budget for the bridge at $5 million, Gilvesy said the project came in under budget at $2.72 million, which included the restoration of the Veterans Memorial Walkway entrance.

Gilvesy spoke to the delay in the opening, which was originally scheduled for this winter.

“Like many infrastructure projects, this one faced its share of challenges - navigating an unusually cold and snowy winter, supply chain delays affecting material availability, permitting requirements, conservation and regulatory approvals, and the complexities that come with working around watercourses,” she said. “The transportation of heavy equipment during seasonal load restrictions also required careful planning and coordination.”

With the bridge replacement coming in under budget, Gilvesy said it was important to include the walkway entrance improvements in 2026 rather than closing the bridge in the future to complete the work. The changes to the Veterans Memorial Walkway were proposed by the Bridge Street Re-Imagination Committee and then endorsed by council.

An official ribbon cutting opened the Kinsmen Bridge on July 2. Taking part were, left to right: Kinsmen Pat Carroll, Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman, Legion President Tom Brown, Mayor Deb Gilvesy and Legion member Joe Brown. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

“It is fitting that we honour the men and women who have fought, and continue to serve, to protect the freedoms we enjoy, and the country we proudly call home,” she said. “I am thankful to council for supporting to preserve a piece of the historical bridge that has aged in place, and weathered with time, to grace this entrance.”

A new sign, featuring the poppy motif and designed by Jessica Phelps of the town’s communication department, was unveiled as part of the ceremony.

Gilvesy said many have questioned why the bridge needed to be replaced. She explained that provincially mandated engineering inspections identified that the bridge would need replacement as early as 2019 due to deterioration. In the process that followed, public input was to save the historic stone piers that support the bridge.

A plaque will be installed adjacent to the girder from the old bridge on the walkway, telling of the bridge’s history and that of the Great Western Railway. Local historian Joan Weston was thanked for her input into the research.

“Today, we celebrate more than the opening of a bridge,” Gilvesy said. “We celebrate the preservation of our history, the responsible investment in our infrastructure, and the collaboration of residents, staff, council, community partners and volunteers who helped make this project possible.”

Pat Carroll, who represented the Kinsmen Club, said the group was honoured to still have its name on the bridge. He recounted the story of Participark in the valley below the bridge, saying Tom Logan led the club in building the activity stations in 1979. Carroll joined the club in 1981, and helped repair vandal damage to the stations.

As an engineer, Carroll saw the initial estimates for replacing the bridge, which came in at $5 million, and thought the price was high. He put together an estimate that was significantly lower and was pleased that the town purchased the structure from Algonquin Bridge, whom he spoke with when preparing the estimate.

“We are pleased the bridge still bears our name,” he said of the club. “We are pleased there are many other places our name can be seen around town, showing we are meeting our club mandate ‘Serving the Community’s Greatest Need’.”

A good-sized crowd was on hand for the ceremonies marking the Kinsmen Bridge official opening. The occasion was celebrated with cake for those who walked across. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Legion President Tom Brown also spoke about the connections to the bridge opening and how it links the future to the past. He was thankful the town included the walkway as part of the project.

“This walkway will stand as a daily reminder that freedom is never free,” he said.”

Brown was hopeful that the walkway would carry the message of remembrance throughout the year, inspire conversations between grandparents and grandchildren, and encourage young children to learn about the sacrifices that were made.

Ruth Ann Helsdon, representing the Hickory Hills Residents’ Association, paid tribute to resident Darryl Carter, who works at St. John’s Anglican Church. Since Carter walks everywhere, he had an extra distance to walk with the bridge closed. Helsdon joked he wore out two pairs of shoes while the bridge was closed, and it’s fitting he is one of the first to walk across it.

“He loves to walk and will be glad the bridge is open,” she said.

A piper and the Legion colour party then led dignitaries and town residents across the bridge after the ceremony.