The Lac La Ronge Indian Band officially opened a new bridge on the Little Red River Reserve Tuesday.
LLRIB Chief Tammy Cook-Searson says the new bridge will make it easier for residents to get in and out of the community.
“When the old bridge was decommissioned, a lot of people had to make routes, detours, that took about 45 (minutes) to an hour out of their regular schedule,” she says.
Cook-Searson says the band is also pleased with the quick turnaround time in which the bridge was built.
She says it only took about a year since the old bridge was decommissioned, federal money obtained and a new bridge was constructed.
A similar bridge for the Sucker River Reserve took about 11 years to get built.
The new bridge is expected to last about 50 years.
A number of local and band dignitaries were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremonies.
Little Red River is the southern-most reserve of the LLRIB, about 40 kilometres north of Prince Albert.
The idea for a new bridge originally came from a former band councillor, the late Richard Halkett.
Elder Hilliard Merasty oversaw the ribbon cutting ceremony.
A community feast followed the ribbon cutting.
(Photo: Elder Hilliard Merasty (left) and LLRIB Chief Tammy Cook-Searson (right) cut the ribbon for a new bridge at the Little Red River Reserve, courtesy of Abel Charles)