Archive for the ‘covered bridges’ Category
on my bookshelf – Covered Bridges of Central and Eastern Canada by Lyn and Richard Harrington
Thanks to a friend, I have added a gem to my small collection of covered bridge books! Covered Bridges of Central and Eastern Canada, published in 1976, gives a glimpse of days when there were over a hundred covered bridges still standing in New Brunswick.
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Harrington, Lyn and Richard Harrington. Covered Bridges of Central and Eastern Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited, 1976.
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Covered Bridges of Central and Eastern Canada includes black and white photos (and two in colour) of many of the covered bridges of the time, including one of the Southwest Otnabog Covered Bridge on Base Gagetown.
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These photos provide a glimpse into history: the types of signage used, the vintage cars, and the land uses in the vicinity of the bridge. Photos show the stacking of wooden lobster traps and log drives on the river. From the days when the bridges were used for private notices, there are photos of a circus poster and a painted eye glass advertisement.
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The book also includes written information on the history of covered bridges, bridge construction, enemies of the covered bridge and hopes for the future. The text covers topics such as traditions and superstitions, sources of bridge names, and anecdotes. I like the detailed story of the creation of the picnic park beside the Patrick Owens Bridge in Rusagonis.
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The Chapter ‘Hope for the Future’ is informative and somewhat sad. In the 1970s The League for Rural Renewal was seen by the author as the cornerstone for covered bridge protection and appreciation.
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Since the book was published, we have lost over forty covered bridges. On the positive side, appreciation for rural landscape is still alive in New Brunswick, evidenced by the many efforts of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. On our visits to covered bridges we have seen new roofs, mended walls and upgrades to abutments. Some of the photos in the book show deteriorated bridges now renovated and mended.
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The book provides a list of covered bridges in New Brunswick and Quebec in 1970. Although the list includes the names of 101 covered bridges in New Brunswick, the authors say 113 bridges existed in 1974/75 when they made their visits. The book also says there were 307 covered bridges in New Brunswick in 1950. Many of the names in the list are no longer familiar in today’s covered bridge lexicon: two bridges over the Shikatehawk River in Carleton County; Windgap Brook #1 in Kings County; Southwest Long Creek in Queens County; and Chemical Creek #1 in Albert County. As a point of interest, in the 1960s, there were still three covered bridges in Nova Scotia.
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The Foreword to the book is by Milton Gregg, born in Kings County, New Brunswick – cabinet minister, recipient of the Victoria Cross for bravery in World War II and Officer of the Order of Canada. He was also the founder and head of the League for Rural Renewal mentioned above.
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I was very fortunate to receive my copy of this book from a friend and I thank him again for the gift. Amazon lists the book as available through one of their associated sellers.
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
on my bookshelf – A Photo Tour of the Covered Bridges of New Brunswick by Ray Boucher
As I make revisions to my poetry manuscript ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’, my collection of books about covered bridges in New Brunswick provides needed reference material. Ray Boucher’s book A Photo Tour of the Covered Bridges of New Brunswick looks at the 64 covered bridges present in the province in 2008. Today only 60 of these remain.
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Ray Boucher. A Photo Tour of the Covered Bridges of New Brunswick. Kissing Bridge Publications, 2009.
A Photo Tour takes the reader county-by-county to discover New Brunswick’s covered bridges. Many of the bridges are shown in more than one photo and photos were taken in every season. I particularly like the photos showing a bridge from up or downstream.
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Now gone from this record of 64 are the Adair Bridge (North Becaguimec River #1) (lost to fire in 2009), the Aaron Clark Bridge (Canaan River #1) (lost to flooding in 2014), the Stone Ridge Bridge (Keswick River #6) (lost to fire in 2008), and the Mangrum Bridge (Becaguimec River #3) (lost to fire in 2011). My version of the book has notes added in red to indicate the 2014 and 2008 losses. The historical value of this book is the photographic record of these four bridges as well as those still standing.
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Each photo is accompanied by facts on bridge length and date of construction, and interesting notes and anecdotes on the bridge and the photographer’s visit. Since my husband accompanied me on my visits to the covered bridges I am writing about, I liked reading that this book was also a husband and wife effort!
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I was able to buy a copy of this book on Amazon.ca … my collection of books about covered bridges is growing!
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
on my bookshelf: New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges by Helen Coldrick
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One of the ‘must haves’ in a collection of books about covered bridges in New Brunswick is Helen Coldrick’s soft cover book New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges. It includes drawings and information on the 70 bridges that existed in 1992. Today there are only 60 covered bridges in New Brunswick and Helen’s book is one way of seeing some of what we are missing.
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Helen Coldrick. New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges. Neptune Publishing Company Limited: Saint John, 1992.
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In her book, Helen includes 30 of her black and white drawings of various covered bridges and construction features. I love these drawings because I can see the artist’s process in the lines: her way of using shadow and white space, and her approach to portraying the reflections in water. The drawings also show the setting of each bridge and in some cases, the dramatic landscape of the river beneath.
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Drawings in the book include bridges now lost: the Aaron Clarke Bridge (lost to flooding in 2014) and Iroquois River #4 (no longer standing). The book also includes a listing of the covered bridges in New Brunswick in 1992. I think one of the values of the book is its snapshot of the situation in years past. The New Brunswick government keeps a list of today’s covered bridges but finding information on those no longer existing is more challenging. Helen’s book shows us what some of these lost bridges looked like and tells some of their stories.
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New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges includes a general history of covered bridges in New Brunswick, and a description of covered bridges by county. The book also includes lots of information on bridge construction, including pages on trusses, abutments, bases, sidings, entrances, windows and walkways, and roofs.
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New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges is available for $7.95 from Nimbus Publishing (www.nimbus.ca). If you are interested in New Brunswick, covered bridges, history or architecture, or if you just like books with lovely drawings, this would be a great addition to your library!
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
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on my book shelf – New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges
As part of my project ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ I have collected books about covered bridges in New Brunswick. One of my favourites is a small book of photos of the 62 covered bridges existing in 2010: Brian Atkinson. New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges. Nimbus Publishing: Halifax. 2010.
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New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges is a compact hardcover, small enough to take along on an adventure spent visiting our covered bridges. The bridges are arranged by County and easily found in an index. Directions to each bridge are provided. Some of the entries include anecdotes about the bridge and all list the year the bridge was built.
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The best elements of the book are Brian’s photographs. They are clear and set each bridge in its surroundings. Some are taken from unusual angles, either from an upstream or downstream vantage point. One is taken beneath the bridge! Although some offer enticing glimpses through the bridge’s entrance, none show the inside of the bridge.
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Brian’s book includes an introduction outlining the history of New Brunswick’s covered bridges. He includes information on the construction of the bridges and the origin of the signage advising folks to ‘Walk Your Horse and Save A Fine’!
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Included in the book is a preface which points out how many of our bridges are in out-of-the-way places … many New Brunswickers have never seen the most quaint and lovely of our bridges. As Brian says of one of the bridges: ‘… as pretty a spot as you can find for letting an afternoon slip by …’.
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As the book tells us, in 1900 there were 4000 covered bridges in New Brunswick, in 1944, 320 and in 2010, only 62. Today, as a result of flood and fire, only 60 remain. My advice – take Brian’s book and head out for an expedition to make your own discoveries about this wonderful part of our built history.
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New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges is available through Westminster Books in Fredericton, your own local bookstore, or Nimbus Publishing
https://www.nimbus.ca/?s=New+Brunswick%27s+covered+bridges
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
a drawing of a covered bridge
Another drawing for my manuscript ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’: Hammond River #2 French Village Covered Bridge
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Cow vetch and Timothy at the entry to the covered bridge:
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Who were ‘B’ and ‘E’? Who was ‘Roger’?
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Hammond River #2 – packed in green
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – not a hummingbird
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not a humming bird
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Benton Covered Bridge
Eel River #3
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wing blur in the lilac
threshold of the bridge
scent-thick and purple
invisible
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hawkmoth
hummingbird clearwing
Hemaris thysbe
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lilac thryse to lilac thryse
side-slip, hover
nectar thirst
fierce harvest
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For more information on the hummingbird hawkmoth at the Benton Covered Bridge, see https://janetims.com/2015/06/10/in-the-shelter-of-the-covered-bridge-hummingbird-moths/
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – lichen garden
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time-stamped
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Pont Lavoie (Lavoie Covered Bridge)
Quisibis River #2
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when the end-post
of the guard rail
splits and rots
the broken space
makes room
for rain and pollen
dust and autumn
leaves
other detritus
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spores find encouragement
and lichens grow
Cladonia cristatella
uniformed in red
Cladina, blue-grey
reindeer lichen
and pyxie cups
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lichens ageless
bridge not meant
to last forever
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
in the shelter of the covered bridge – manuscript completed!!
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Last year, in the competition of April 1, 2015, I was awarded a Creation Grant from artsnb (The New Brunswick Arts Board). The award was to create a manuscript of poems about plants and animals living in the shelter of covered bridges in New Brunswick.
I have now completed the manuscript and am ready to submit my final report. During the project I visited 28 covered bridges in the drainage basin of the Saint John River and 5 in Charlotte and Westmorland Counties. I was also able to use the notes and records from my visits to some covered bridges in 1992.
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The final manuscript includes 81 pages, 8 new drawings, and 63 poems, organised into five themes:
liminal spaces – 8 poems about bridges as places of transition and change
notch of a lily pad – 10 poems about the covered bridge as habitat
grit of a blade – 9 poems about engravings and graffiti produced by human visitors to the covered bridge
a blade of grass between thumbs -10 poems about mysterious discoveries in covered bridges
heads of timothy – 6 poems about encounters at the bridge
gaps between boards – 10 poems about deterioration and loss due to vandalism, fire and flood
a loose board rattles – 10 poems about the sounds resonating in a covered bridge
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Many thanks to artsnb for helping me in the making of the manuscript and for the chance to undertake such an enjoyable project!
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – a line of pigeons
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keeping watch
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Florenceville Bridge
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pigeons swim through air
fill gaps on the ridge line
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perch on the shingled roof
scrutinize the traffic
the squeeze of half-tons
on the bridge
the kissing of mirrors
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pigeons quit the ridge, glide
to the shingled shore
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river winds shiver
hawkweed and sumac, displace
blankets of wild cucumber, billow
the skirts and Tilley
hats of tourists
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published previously in a post on September 11, 2015
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
in the shelter of the covered bridge – vantage point for planets
If there are clear pre-sunrise morning skies this week, we will be able to see a rare view of several planets in the morning sky – Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter. For a description of the event, see http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury
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Last year, on February 21st, we saw the conjunction of Mars, Venus and the Moon. On that evening, as my husband and I drove through our local covered bridge, we startled a hare. I will never forget its long-eared shadow as it fled the bridge. The conjunction of planets and moon, and snowshoe hare and truck, were inspiration for a drawing and poem …
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March 1, 2015 ‘conjunction’ Jane Tims
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conjunction – February 21, 2015
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Patrick Owens Covered Bridge
Rusagonis River #2
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planet and moon light scamper
into crevasses in the covered bridge
Venus and Mars, chin velvet
and sickle of mid-winter moon
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headlights of the half-ton enter
overwhelm planet shadow
startle a winter hare
erect on haunches, paw lifted
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frosted by sky-gaze, worshiping
the sliver of moon, dismayed
at desecration, round glare
of the truck’s predatory eyes
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fright to stop a heart
or flight to mobilize
hind- legs straighten
before fore-legs turn
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and long ear shadows
quit the length of the bridge
ahead of whiskers, nose
and rabbit wisdom
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previously published in a post March 2, 2015
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Copyright Jane Tims 2016
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