The Albert Memorial Bridge is a beam bridge that spans across the north and south banks of Wascana Creek along Albert Street in Regina,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. This functional war memorial is 256 metres (840 feet) long and 22 metres (72 feet) wide.

History

The Albert Memorial Bridge's construction was part of a larger relief project during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, which also included draining and dredging the adjacent Wascana Lake, and building two islands in the lake. The bridge was designed by the architectural firm of Puntin, O'Leary and Coxall, as well as noted consulting engineer Claude A.P. Turner. The bridge is highly ornamented with Egyptian motifs, lamp standards, multiple flag-staffs, glazed terra-cotta balusters and buffalo heads. Although the bridge's cost was estimated at less than $100,000 before construction, the final cost was $250,000. It was ridiculed by the locals because of its cost and became known as "Bryant's Folly", after then- public works minister James Bryant. It was opened on November 10, 1930, by Premier J. T. M. Anderson and dedicated as a memorial to the Saskatchewan soldiers who died in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Although spaces were provided for the installation of plaques with the names of province's war dead, they were never used. Sixty-five years later, a separate

memorial on the grounds of the legislative building was constructed. The bridge was re-dedicated on October 2, 1988, after a $1.4 million restoration project. In June 2009, another major refurbishment project was begun on the bridge. The deck was resurfaced, and decorative elements like the terra-cotta balustrades were restored. The cost of the work was estimated at $5 million. By late October, most of the work (except the top layer of asphalt) had been completed.

Gallery

Image:Bridgedam.jpg, The dam of Albert Memorial Bridge with a terracotta representation of the Saskatchewan coat of arms above Image:Bridgecoat.jpg, Regina coat of arms on the bridge Image:Bridgebufallo.jpg, Glazed terracotta buffalo detail on the bridge Image:Albert Memorial Bridge (535753422).jpg, Plaque

References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Regina, Saskatchewan Beam bridges in Canada Canadian military memorials and cemeteries Road bridges in Saskatchewan Historic buildings and structures in Saskatchewan World War I memorials in Canada