Bridge featured in online video series by former Expositor writer
LITTLE CURRENT—The swing bridge in Little Current is the featured subject in this week’s episode of Living History, an independent web series by former Expositor staffer Warren Schlote.
The video, which is only about 10 minutes long, talks about how the railway brought the bridge to town, the structure’s evolution through the years and its current state.
It premieres on Mr. Schlote’s YouTube channel, @WarrenTheReporter, tomorrow, Thursday, August 10 at noon.
“This was a cool subject to feature, especially since I drove across the swing bridge regularly back when I was living on Manitoulin,” he said.
Living History is a video series that explores “parts of Ontario’s history that are still relevant and have a physical presence in the modern day,” according to Mr. Schlote’s YouTube channel.
This is a true one-person operation, from generating the story ideas to filming, editing and promoting them. It’s also fully self-funded. New episodes or bonus videos come out every Thursday and the series will run until the end of the year.
Mr. Schlote said that although the bridge itself is unique, its broader significance inspired him to feature its story.
“It’s got a really interesting relationship with the community,” he said.
Indeed, the pages of this newspaper in recent years have shown how important (and controversial) the swing bridge is among Islanders.
Based on several letters to the editor, many Islanders feel sentimental about the 110-year-old bridge and don’t want to see it replaced, as the Ontario government has promised to do. For many, the bridge is a symbol of Manitoulin Island.
“I think part of the attachment is tied to the railway connection (of the bridge),” he said. “The railway was Manitoulin’s first land link to the rest of Canada, at a time when boats were really the only way to get around. And it also promised to bring jobs and prosperity.”
However, others on Manitoulin see the bridge as a nuisance, especially as it ages and breaks down more frequently. Those people would prefer to see a modern replacement that could carry more traffic and reduce wait times.
The Ontario government has said it plans to build a two-lane swing bridge immediately west of the current bridge. It will take many design cues from the current crossing, in an attempt to appease the most people.
Mr. Schlote’s video is in two parts. The second, which will air on August 24, talks about Georgian Bay’s other swing bridge, in Wasauksing First Nation near Parry Sound.
“I actually wrote a story back in my time at The Expositor that compared these two bridges,” he said, referring to ‘A Tale of Two Bridges’ from the September 11, 2019 paper.
Despite its similarities, Wasauksing’s bridge doesn’t carry the same sentimentality, he said. The episode will explore some theories as to why that may be the case.
Mr. Schlote said the series has been challenging to produce, especially as a self-funded solo project alongside full-time work at CBC Sudbury.
“I’m definitely run off my feet a bit, but I’m just trying to push through to the end of the year on schedule,” he said.
“It would really help a lot if people checked out the series, subscribed, left comments and shared the episodes around,” Mr. Schlote said. “I’ve got a small but loyal following, and I’m hoping it grows so I can keep making things like this for as long as I can.”
He expressed his thanks to Island historians, especially Sandy McGillivray and Bill Caesar, for documenting the bridge’s history through words and photos, which were important as he prepared his script and made the video.
