Heritage plaque unveiling at historic West Montrose Covered Bridge

Waterloo Region – On Saturday Nov. 1, 2014 the Township of Woolwich together with the Region of Waterloo will celebrate the West Montrose Covered Bridge with a plaque unveiling. Constructed in 1881, it is the Region’s second oldest remaining bridge and the only historic wooden covered bridge in Ontario.

The event will include the unveiling of a historic interpretive plaque to commemorate the long history of this iconic structure. The plaque traces the story of the bridge from the original tender submitted by John Bear in 1881, to current efforts to preserve the133-year-old structure.

Of the many covered bridges built in Ontario in the

1800s, the West Montrose bridge is the sole survivor. It was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act by the Township of Woolwich in 2007 and ranked as the second most historically significant bridge out of 100 heritage bridges studied in the Region.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the historical value of the West Montrose Covered Bridge in our community,” says Region of Waterloo Cultural Heritage Specialist Kate Hagerman.

The plaque is the eighth in a series produced by the Waterloo Region Heritage Planning Advisory Committee (HPAC) as part of the Heritage Bridges Recognition Program. Other significant historic bridges that have been recognized include the Black Bridge Road Bridge in Hespeler, the Freeport and Bridgeport Bridges in Kitchener, and the Hartman Bridge in New Hamburg.

Everyone is invited to attend the unveiling ceremony, taking place on Saturday Nov. 1, 2014 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Letson Park, at the corner of Rivers Edge Dr. and Letson Dr. in West Montrose.

The unveiling will include remarks by author and historian Del Gingrich, local and regional representatives, and other key figures in the conservation of this significant structure. A celebratory reception will follow on the Covered Bridge where light refreshments will be served and the Grand Harmony Chorus will perform.

Event details: West Montrose Covered Bridge plaque unveiling

Date: Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014

Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Location: Letson Park, corner of Rivers Edge Dr. and Letson Dr., West Montrose

                                             -30-

For more information please contact: Kate Hagerman KHagerman@regionofwaterloo.ca or 519-575-4094