It was a celebration of bridges Tuesday in Saskatoon.
The city was honouring the official openings of the Chief Mistawasis and Traffic bridges.
Hundreds of people braved the cold in the morning, in the northeast part of the city, for the opening of the Chief Mistawasis Bridge.
Premier Scott Moe says it was a great day for Saskatchewan.
“This is an absolutely fabulous day for so many reasons,” he says.
“Fabulous day for the community of Saskatoon in opening of this infrastructure, fabulous day I think for the Province of Saskatchewan to be involved in this type of infrastructure again here in the City of Saskatoon. I think it’s also a fabulous day for all of our nations as well.”
Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark says the bridge has been named with the theme of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in mind.
“To do it in the spirit of reconciliation as we’ve done and to recognize the historic treaty relationship that’s recognized with the naming of Chief Mistawasis and have that now be cemented in the story of our community is also part of a strong foundation for the future,” he says.
Clark says the name of Chief Mistawasis was chosen from over 600 submitted on the topic of reconciliation.
The Traffic Bridge, linking the Broadway district to downtown, also officially opened on Tuesday.
The two bridges are part of Saskatoon’s just under $240 million Bridging to Tomorrow Project, which also includes the McOrmand Drive and Central Avenue extensions.
The project is funded by all three levels of government.
For the Chief Mistawasis Bridge, the federal government put in 25 per cent, the province $50 million and the city the remainder.
The Chief Mistawasis Bridge opened to traffic on Tuesday and the Traffic Bridge on Wednesday.
The Mistawasis First Nation is located about 70 kilometres west of Prince Albert.
(PHOTO: Grand Entry at the official opening of the Chief Mistawasis Bridge in Saskatoon. Photo by Fraser Needham.)