Huntsville might have lost an iconic landmark if not for the efforts of Town staff and concerned local residents.<\/p>\n
The bridge master\u2019s cabin atop Huntsville\u2019s swing bridge is a well-known and beloved feature of our town, but it\u2019s in need of some T.L.C. In May 2015, Teri Souter, the Town of Huntsville\u2019s Manager of Arts, Culture and Heritage, was contacted by a concerned resident who said the cabin was in a state of disrepair and should be replaced.<\/p>\n
Souter agreed and contacted the District of Muskoka who owns the bridge. \u201cTheir first reaction was that, yes, it is derelict and it should be taken down. But once I pointed out the heritage value of the structure, they were really willing to work with us.\u201d She came up with the idea to have high school students build the new cabin to give them practical experience and get them engaged in preserving history in our community, while also saving taxpayer dollars.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s most meaningful because they will have something that they created with their own hands in their community. And I can talk to them about the importance of heritage in our community in terms that are relevant to them \u2013 it\u2019s a non-traditional market for an academic subject and that makes me really excited. Councillor Jonathan Wiebe and I will be doing some outreach with (the students). And it was their idea to build a time capsule for it, to be opened for Canada\u2019s 200th<\/sup> anniversary in 2067.\u201d<\/p>\n She had approached Gunnar Christensen, a teacher at the high school, who was enthusiastic about the project. They just needed a design.<\/p>\n Enter local architect, Duncan Ross. He\u2019s a member of the Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee and was willing to provide the architectural drawings pro bono. \u201cDuncan deserves a huge amount of credit,\u201d said Souter. \u201cHe\u2019s been up on ladders taking measurements to ensure that what\u2019s built offsite can be properly fastened.\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at old photos to help determine what the new structure should look like. \u201cWe had to decide how far we wanted to go to make a faithful reproduction,\u201d said Ross. \u201cThere have been other locations, other colours. One photo shows it down closer to the ground and at one end at one point, but we decided to keep it where it is and follow the shape that it is now. We will add some safety features so it is easier to get to and will hopefully last longer without degrading.\u201d<\/p>\n The bridge master’s cabin is visible on top of the bridge in the 1944 photo above and the later photos below in 1956 (left) and 1983, but early postcards of the swing bridge show it without a cabin atop.<\/p>\n\n\t\t