Elora in Centre Wellington in Wellington County, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Victoria Street Walking Bridge

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 24, 2025

1. Victoria Street Walking Bridge Marker

Inscription. The original bridge at this site was constructed in 1842. The cut-stone piers that remain supported the third and fourth bridges built here in 1871 and 1899 respectively. With the completion of the Metcalfe Street bridge in 1954, the Victoria Street bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in 1969. One sidewalk remained open however and the structure began a new life as a pedestrian bridge. By the mid-seventies the sidewalk too was closed and pedestrians had to wait until 1983 to once again have access to the bridge. That year MGM chose Elora as the setting for a Hollywood movie called "Mrs. Soffel" and paid $35,000 to help restore the bridge. The project involved laying two large steel beams over the bridge super structure and surfacing it with a wood plank decking. Later that year the original roadway was opened as a walking bridge. Unfortunately, the underlying structure was ignored and continued to deteriorate and, although it had been designated by LACAC in 1983, funding for proper restoration was not forthcoming. For the next twenty years, the bridge provided a wonderful overlook and gathering place in the village,

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as well as an important link between the parking area on the south bank of the Grand River and the shops, restaurants and pubs on Mill Street. The 1899 Victoria Street bridge, with its proud, Pratt truss design, was removed.

Three very sturdy, but forlorn, stone piers hold vigil hoping to bear a new pedestrian bridge that might once again link the south bank and Mill Street.

Erected 2011.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Bridges & Viaducts. A significant historical year for this entry is 1842.

Location. 43° 40.844′ N, 80° 25.826′ W. Marker is in Centre Wellington, Ontario, in Wellington County. It is in Elora. It is on Mill Street West 0.1 kilometers west of Metcalfe Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 48 Mill Street W, Centre Wellington ON N0B 1S0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Huron-Perth-Waterloo-Wellington Area

and in Southwestern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 24, 2025

2. Victoria Street Walking Bridge Marker

To the right of the photo panel

itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Former Victoria Street Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Mill Street on the Grand (within shouting distance of this marker); Crossing the Grand (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Elora Drill Shed / Le Manège Militaire D’Elora (about 150 meters away); Lower Metcalfe Street (about 150 meters away); Upper Metcalfe Street (about 210 meters away); Liquor Store (about 210 meters away); Lower Geddes Street (about 240 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Centre Wellington.

Regarding Victoria Street Walking Bridge. A bridge was built on the original 1871 piers in 2019

The 2019 Victoria Street Walking Bridge in 2025 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Boyd, November 24, 2025

3. The 2019 Victoria Street Walking Bridge in 2025

Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. This page has been viewed 50 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 27, 2025, by Tim Boyd of Hamilton, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.