Crossing the Grand

Crossing the Grand. Bradley Bridge at Metcalfe Street. , Arthur A. Badley , Arthur A. Badley (1895-1972) served in WW1 and later worked at J. C. Mundell Furniture. Manufacturers located in the industrial buildings south and west of the Victoria Street bridge. Throughout his lifetime he was an active community volunteer and at various times was elected Reeve of Elora and member of County of Wellington Council. He was the County's first tax assessor and served in that role for 23 years. The Metcalfe Street bridge was named in his honour to recognize his leadership role in the community and on County Council in 1951-52., Crossing the Grand , Long before Euro Canadian settlers arrived in Grand River country, many indigenous groups lived here carrying out traditional practices, hunting, fishing and harvesting for medicines and food all supported by the bountiful natural resources of the fertile land. The role of the Grand River in sustaining many communities over a long period of time was recognized in the naming of the Grand River and its tributaries as a Canadian Heritage River in 1994., By the nineteenth century, the village of Elora was prospering, with the Grand River providing a source of power for mills and industries. The surrounding fertile lands were providing a strong agricultural base for commerce. Bridges across the Grand River along its 270 km length were limited. In Elora, the Victoria Street bridge provided the only crossing of the river until 1953 when a second bridge crossing was made at Metcalfe Street., The cultural heritage landscape setting of the Elora core area is made up of a variety of historic buildings (most built from locally quarried limestone) and the topography of the wide river valley. There are scenic and panoramic views of the impressive architecture and the river from the approaching streets and from the Victoria and Metcalfe Street bridges. Tourism activities have replaced many or the early industries in the area, drawing visitors and residents to the Grand River in Elora., Camel Back Through Truss Bridge Design , The Camel Back variation of the Through Truss Bridge type was selected for the Metcalfe Street crossing since it met the County's intent for a utilitarian and economical bridge. Built of steel beams/braces and connected with riveted plates, it was well-suited for short distances and had the advantage of using less material than a standard Through Truss design. Its strength came from the integrity of the connection of each component part. Over time, deterioration of the connections necessitated its replacement in 2019., Post-War Bridges in County of Wellington , After world war two, the County of Wellington faced an urgent need to replace many deteriorated bridges that had been built in the early twentieth century. The County Warden's address to County Council sums up the approach taken in dealing with this immense challenge., "You have already replaced all of your most decrepit structures with new and modern bridges adequate in all ways for present use and all at reasonable cost. Wellington has always been known as a county of many large bridges and may well be known as a County of many excellent large bridges." , (County Council Minutes, 1953-54), The construction of a new bridge on Metcalfe Street changed in a significant way the movement of people and vehicles through Elora. Instead of making two sharp ninety-degree turns to move from the south side of the river to the north using Victoria Street bridge, the new bridge allowed a direct connection to and from the north.