Originally published in Lake of the Woods Area News, Volume 54, Number 4, Fall 2024
The Keewatin Bridges is one of the most picturesque landmarks on Lake of the Woods.
It’s a gateway into the Keewatin “harbour”, it’s a place marker to locate where you are when approaching from the southwest, and it’s just so darn beautiful!
Besides its importance for locals, it’s an essential piece of infrastructure linking eastern and western Canada. And so, its story begins…
In the 1910s as the sale of automobiles increased and roadways were being built to accommodate the growing traffic, the idea of a national network of highways was being championed by the Canadian Highway Association. The federal government was onside but because road construction falls under the purview of the provinces, the feds were careful how far they stepped in. Their contributions were to set road standards and provide a portion of the funding.
In 1920, the Ontario provincial highway network was established by the then Department of Public Highways. Roads in southern Ontario were linked, where possible, creating a portion of Highway 17. That network extended to northern Ontario in 1924 when a roadway between Nipigon and Thunder Bay was completed. By 1931, work was underway on the link between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg. It took four years to complete and was opened on July 1, 1935.
At that time, the highway through this area took a mainland route through Norman and Keewatin. But Mayor Jack Allan of Keewatin and his council advocated for a bridge to be built, linking the points of land that mark the entrance to Portage Bay. This route would be shorter, more direct and would also avoid the two railway crossings of the existing route. Their bid for a bridge was successful.
The arch bridge, designed by bridge engineer Archie Crealock, was to be 900 feet in length and 30 feet wide with a five-foot-wide sidewalk. The centre span would measure 325 feet and rise to a height of 50 feet above the channel. It was flanked on either side by three smaller concrete arches. A concrete deck, steel railings and ornamental lamps were all part of the design.
The contract was awarded to Rayner Construction Ltd. in August 1937, and it was estimated that the laying of the foundation, the building of the coffer dam and the bridge construction would take one year to complete at a cost of $300,000 (later reports suggest that the construction was closer to $500,000). The bridge fabrication was done by the Dominion Bridge Co. of Toronto. It was a huge undertaking and it’s estimated that, at one time, 130 men were employed in the construction.
On September 20, 1938, the Keewatin Bridge was opened with great ceremony. Kenora’s MPP Peter Heenan was given the honour of cutting the 36-foot red ribbon. Automobiles bearing the mayors of Kenora and Keewatin passed one another on the centre span to mark the new connection between the two communities. Federal, provincial and municipal dignitaries were present, and it’s estimated that more than 3,000 people attended, including school children as a school holiday was declared for the day. The bridge opened the following spring for vehicular traffic.
Superlatives of the bridge—“the finest this side of Toronto”; “one of the most attractive highway bridges ever built in Ontario”; “the longest bridge on Highway 17”—cemented its importance as a Trans Canada Highway (TCH) landmark. And while it affords a spectacular “first” view of Lake of the Woods as one comes in from the west along the TCH, an equally compelling view of it graces the lakescape as one approaches Keewatin from the south. It’s a beauty!
