Old Man River Bridge opened

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BLOOD RESERVE - Located near where an old Indian burial site and a whiskey trading post existed a hundred years ago, the Old Man River Bridge was officially opened here, October 14.

After 13 years of negotiations between the Blood Band, the County of Lethbridge and the provincial government, the opening ceremonies culminated the highway and bridge construction started two years ago.

Known as Secondary Highway No. 509, the new highway and bridge will improve the Blood Band's access to Lethbridge. The new bridge will shorten the travelling distance from Standoff to Lethbridge by approximately 50 kilometres.

Al "Boomer" Adair, provincial minister of Transportation and Utilities, Jack Ady, Cardston MLA, unveiled the Old Man River Bridge plaque. They later joined Blood Traditional Chief Jim Shot Both Sides Sr., Blood Tribal councillor Randy Bottle (representing Blood Chief Roy Fox) and Richard Papworth, reeve of the County of Lethbridge, to perform the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the bridge.

Dan Weasel Moccasin, a Blood Elder and councillor, said in Blackfoot that the Bloods used the area near the Old Man River Bridge as a prime wintering spot. He said the area was eventually abandoned became it became a whiskey trading centre.

"Today marks a historic day because we (Bloods) will come back to an area we abandoned many years ago due to unfortunate reasons. Hopefully, we'll create a better community here," said Weasel Moccasin.

Reeve Papworth said there were many meetings held since 1973 between the Bloods, the county, and the provincal government to decide on the route of Highway No. 509.

"The county preferred the old route (the existing gravel road commonly known as the Lease Road) but the new route was finally agreed to by all parties concerned," said Papworth.

He said the new highway and bridge will improve the Band's access to Lethbridge especially for students attending Lethbridge schools.

Ady said the Old Man River Bridge signifies a "physical and social link bridging two communities (Native and non-Native), fostering understanding and reducing barriers."

The new bridge will reap social and economic opportunities which "is an investment for the Bloods that will pay dividends in the future," said Ady.

Bottle said the highway and bridge construction "was done in a spirit of co-operation between two groups of people."

He said over 200 Bloods were trained in various construction jobs and the skills will be utilized in the construction of the proposed irrigation project on the Blood reserve.

"There will be a lot of economic and employment opportunities especially for Blood entrepreneurs who may wish to look at this area for possible businesses," said Bottle.

Adair said the total cost of Highway No. 509 and the Old Manger River Bridge,

is about $18.5 million. The project was totally financed by Alberta Transpiration. Final surfacing of about another 20 kilometers will be completed next spring, said Adair.

The bridge is 175 metres long, 10.5 metres wide and the deck is 13 metres above the river bed.

The Bloods plan a golf course and townsite near the Old Man River Bridge in the near future.