New bridge christened with poker derby

The new Sturgeon Creek bridge just north of Barwick was christened with lots of snowmobile traffic during its grand opening.
The Emo Borderland Snowmobile Club held a poker derby last weekend and sold about 160 poker hands for the event as more than 50 sleds joined the run.
“This is the most traffic I’ve seen in the last few years,” noted snowmobiler Brent Westover.
The new bridge was built as a safety initiative after a poker derby in 1998 showed there was some risk in crossing the river. The opening and closing of the mill’s flood gates were leaving open ice in the creek.
Since then, the community has come together, step by step working on the new bridge.
Emo resident Rob Woolsey located a spot along Sturgeon Creek to build the bridge and resident Tom Jackson re-routed the trail from Emo to the bridge site.
Brent Strachan and Jim Ash then did the profiling of the bridge, which was used in a funding proposal sent to the Smooth Safe Trails Program, a program put together by the Ontario government and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.
Applications also had to be sent to the Canadian Coast Guard and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
The project was approved by all government agencies and funding matching any locally-raised money was guaranteed by the Smooth Safe Trails Program.
“If we could raise 50 percent of the bridge project, then we would be sent the other 50 percent,” noted club member Monika Galloway.
Fundraising initiatives, coupled with contributions from area contractors and businesses, were matched by the SST and more than $100,000 was put aside for the bridge.
With the consent of all the landowners neighbouring the new trail section and bridge, the Emo Borderland Snowmobile Club sought a deal with the Township of Chapple.
In January, 1999, the two groups signed an agreement allowing the club to use an unopened road allowance to build the bridge over the creek.
In the spring, 1999, a bridge made by Algonquin Bridges Inc. was shipped into Emo and final approval was received under the Navigable Waters Protection Act.
The project was advertised for 30 days for public comment, then the bridge was installed by T & K Sharp Construction.
Initiating the whole project, the Emo Borderland Snowmobile Club and the Rainy River Wildland Snowdusters held the poker derby to celebrate completion of the project.
With plenty of snow and temperatures slightly milder than they have been in the past few days, participants in the derby were all good-humoured as they gathered at dusk to lay down their hands at the bridge.
“It’s not bad for the conditions, not bad at all . . . I got a full house so far,” said Devlin resident Duane Thorsteinson, who ended up third overall to win $88.
Coming in first place was Vic Alberts, who won $154, while Ted Halvorsen came second ($110). Tom Jackson and Jeremy Mayes came fourth and fifth respectively, each netting $44.
Sledders ran from Rainy River to Emo and back or vice versa, collecting their cards at stops along the roughly 175 km (110 miles) of trail.
“I think I’m in the basement somewhere,” noted Emo resident Dale Hartlin as the cards were being counted.