SIOUX NARROWS–NESTOR FALLS — Forty years after Sioux Narrows published its own local history book, a sequel is in the making.
In 1985, Beyond the Bridge: Sioux Narrows was published, preserving the history of the remote community and the families that had lived and travelled there.
On Monday, the Sioux Narrows Historical Committee closed their call for submissions with more than 200 stories to fill the pages of Beyond the Bridge II, which will be a two-part book.
“The goal was to put down, in writing, the history of the community since the beginning,” said Woody Linton, chairperson of the Sioux Narrows Historical Committee.
It all started in the 1980s with a group of people who realized their history could be lost if it was not recorded, said Linton.
Anyone with a connection to the community was invited to submit their stories and knowledge for both part one and two.
“If you don’t know your history, you start all over again,” said Linton. “It’s very, very important to know the roots of your community.”
More than 400 pages long, the original book covers the history of the people, programs and places that have existed there over time, complete with hundreds of photographs, maps and records.
There are stories of people who came looking for work over the summer, or stopping during their travels in the early 1900s, only to find their future homes.
One notable place covered in the book is the Sioux Narrows Bridge on Highway 71, also the inspiration for the title.
Opening on July 1, 1936, the bridge created an “integral link within the framework of the community,” says the book.
“The link it provides is not only that which connects the highway across the Narrows, but also tangible evidence of a link to the community’s past and an aesthetic link to its surroundings,” it reads.
The committee of ten has been busy this year collecting stories to be proofread, edited, compiled into a book and sent to Winnipeg for publication and printing, Linton explained. Beyond the Bridge II is expected to be finished and ready for purchase by late Spring.
Along with Linton, the committee consists of Keith Dowdall, Karen Rustige, Jeff Polakoff, Barb Madden, Brenda Peterson, Doug Brothwell, Lisa Keverian, Tim Warner and Katrina Warner, and has support from secretary Jeannie Woods.
“You’ve got to know what’s behind you, where you came from and where you’re going,” said Linton, adding that the book brings the community itself and the people that live there together.
For those who can’t stop in to buy a copy at the Northern Ontario Sportfishing Centre in Sioux Narrows–Nestor Falls, the original book can be read online on the University of Calgary’s website.
