Urban history in Selkirk MB: Selkirk Lift Bridge

© 2018, 2022, Christian Cassidy

In 2020, I had a chance to do a lot of historic research for the City of Selkirk for their new online museum and archive collection. This series is a brief summary of some of the interesting buildings and places that I found there.  If you want to try someplace new or an urban walk, definitely check out Selkirk!

This research originally appeared in my Winnipeg Real Estate News Column of August 2018.

Selkirk Lift Bridge
Designer and Supervising Engineer: Arthur J. Taunton, Department of Public Works
Substructure: Macaw and MacDonald
Superstructure: Dominion Bridge
Official Opening: May 3, 1937

The Selkirk Lift Bridge was funded by the federal government as a depression relief project. The engineer in charge was Arthur J. Taunton, assistant engineer for the federal Department of Public Works office in Winnipeg.

The bridge was completed for the most part by March 1937 but a debate broke out over who would operate and maintain it. The town of Selkirk and R.M. of St. Clements said they could not afford it. The feds said that wasn't part of the original funding deal and that if it had to assume responsibility, it would charge a toll.

Residents who had become fed up with negotiations took matters into their own hands on April 29, 1937. They laid timbers over the span in the bridge so that people could cross it. (The centre span wa left raised until the ownership of the bridge was worked out.)

This prompted the governments to reach a cost sharing agreement and the bridge officially opened with little fanfare on May 3, 1937.

Related:
My photo album of the Selkirk Lift Bridge
Selkirk Lift Bridge Selkirk Museum