I made one more stop before leaving Manitoba. Yet again I saw an intriguing sign and decided a detour was in order. I'd never heard of Souris, Manitoba, but if they had the "longest suspension bridge in Canada"... I was going there. It was only a little out of my way.
I arrived at this small town of perhaps 2000 people and followed the signs to the bridge. I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to heights but this entire trip had been about overcoming fears and anxieties, so I parked and gingerly began crossing the bridge. It was way more solid than the one I remember crossing in Drumheller, Alberta. That time was plain embarrassing. I held my 3 year-old's hand, for "his safety", and then clung on to him for dear life. The only reason I didn't freeze completely, was because my love for my son outweighed my fear of heights. This time, I walked confidently across the bridge and even coped with someone coming towards me from the other side (even though their movement made the bridge sway a bit).
Spanning over the River Souris, the bridge is 604' long. It was first built in 1904 but has been damaged from floods over the years and reconstructed many times. Finally, in 2013, the present bridge was constructed. I think this one is much more solid.
When I parked, I saw a fleeting glance of peacocks strutting down the road and heard them hooting. As a storm was threatening I decided to walk the bridge before following the birds to grab a picture. After "bravely" walking the bridge I could still hear the peacocks but I could not find them. FUN FACT: the official name for the sound Peacocks make is “bu-girk!”
I continued on to Estevan where my friends Sandi and Graham reside. It has been eons since we spent time together and I was looking forward to our reunion. Even though I was traveling a secondary highway, the border to Saskatchewan was clearly marked. I discovered on my trip that not all provinces do this. It took four hours from Souris to Estevan. I stopped briefly in Redvers because I saw the Mountie statue, quite appropriate considering the highway is referred to as the Red Coat Trail. The next few days would prove that true friendships can withstand distance and time.
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