A streetcar crosses the High Level Bridge in Edmonton - Date/Photographer unknown.

13 March 2012

Let's Party When High Level Bridge Turns 100

Edmonton Alberta - In a little over a year Edmonton's High Level Bridge turns 100-years-old. Mark the date, 2 Jun 2013, on your calendar. That's when the first train crossed the bridge. Maybe we can all send the old girl flowers. As far as I can see, there is no party planned.
 
There is news about the bridge and whether the waterfall will ever run again. But other than a thread on the connect2edmonton site I have not read a word about the big birthday.
 
Yet it's hard to imagine another Edmonton structure that is as striking in appearance, as impressively situated in the river valley, or as significant in our city's economic evolution. There's a good history of the bridge at the Edmonton Radial Railway site.
 
Surely in a city packed with engineers and artists we can come up with some cool way to highlight the big day and update Edmonton's image at the same time. If such an effort is underway, I'd love to hear about it.
 
Civic and business leaders in our town worry a lot about our image and whether we are getting our city "on the map" through sponsorship of the Edmonton Indy or bids to host a world's fair.
 
Here is a homegrown opportunity to be great, but the clock is ticking. The people of Edmonton dreamed big a century ago when they built the High Level Bridge. Can we match that spirit today?
 
We have until 2 Jun 2013, to find out.