Finlay Bridge in Medicine Hat, Alberta

On May 14, 1908 Finlay Bridge officially opened. The green truss bridge that spans the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat, Alberta is a locally recognized heritage site, and since it was completed over a century ago, it's remained a symbol of the city. At 277 metres long and 10 metres wide, it was the largest bridge in Western Canada when it was built. Few local landmarks have maintained their practical significance and usage for the entirety of their lifetimes, but Finlay Bridge remains an artery to the downtown core to this day.

Finlay Bridge was named after William T. Finlay who was one of Medicine Hat's early mayors from 1900-1902. Finlay was also Medicine Hat's first MLA when the province of Alberta was formed in 1905 and became Alberta's first Minister of Agriculture at that time.

Over the years Finlay Bridge has undergone refurbishment, including a complete deck and paint rehabilitation in 2009. The installation of brand new decorative LED lighting above the bridge and along the piers was also completed in 2011. Finlay Bridge is the support structure for the main Shaw Cross Canada fibre optic cable, proving that while the requirements for the bridge have evolved over the years, it's no less relevant today.

Finlay Bridge construction in 1908.

Finlay Bridge postcard ca. 1912

Finlay Bridge ca. 1920s

Finlay Bridge ca. 1940

Finlay Bridge ca. 1940

Finlay Bridge postcard from 1936.

For My Mom

You know what's great?  Finding a Mother's Day card intended for toddlers to give to their moms and realizing that it's the only one that actually made you laugh because of how out of date it would be to give.  It's the perfect combination of sentiment and awkwardness.  Thankfully, I made a note so that she realizes it wasn't a recent picture of us.  She'll love it!  Happy Mother's Day!

A Few Magnets

You know when you're killing time in an airport, or your hanging out in a hotel lobby, or you finish exploring a tourist trap and end up in a gift shop?  I can't seem to help myself when it comes to buying a magnet and a few postcards.  What can I say?  It's a habit that feeds my love of nostalgia and they fit in a suitcase easily.  They're also relatively cheap things to collect that give you something tangible from the place you've just been. As you can see below, I'm into that.