In May, a new 24 foot bridge was installed on the Nith River Loop – a culmination of many hours in planning, design, construction and installation by a hard-working team. Back in the fall 2017, Ted Derry, Bruce Graham, Dudley Burton, Rick Horst and Dennis Rawe completed the initial construction of the bridge which was designed by Dennis, using guidelines provided by the Bruce Trail Association.
The partially constructed bridge was stored in Rick’s barn until spring when it was transported by trailer to the farm of the landowner, Jim Snyder. Despite some health challenges, Jim insisted on driving his tractor with the trailer as close as possible to where the bridge was to be installed. His help was invaluable and Jim certainly went above and beyond what is expected of a landowner.
Dennis, who had installed the 2 sleepers prepared by Roger Cook a few days earlier, kept an eye on things and added his expertise to ensure the installation was technically sound. Ted, taking the lead in the physical construction, was assisted by the willing crew of Dave Williamson, Ken Nicholson, Marija Kelemen, Terry Aitken, Brian Tarr and Dave Essex.
As the “photo-journalist” on location, I witnessed great teamwork by the crew and the wonderful camaraderie which included much laughter, many jokes, good-natured ribbing and finally the proud moment when the bridge was completed. Job well done!
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