Portage city council heard from a member of the Portage and District Heritage Advisory Committee at its meeting on Monday night. James Kostuchuk says he was asked to address council about a possible heritage designation for the bridge over Crescent Lake, noting people do have a lot of strong attachments to this structure. Kostuchuk says the province has criteria for municipal designation of heritage sites, including if the structure is in original condition, has some unique design features, or is the work of a significant architect. He notes when the City of Portage decided to replace the 1898 bridge back in 1929 they were looking for something that would last at least twice as long as the original structure. Kostuchuk says the 1929 bridge began needing major repairs after sixty years, adding it's important to remember that the people who chose to build that bridge weren't trying to create a symbol but were simply looking for a practical way to get over to Island Park.

He notes while it's always good to draw attention to heritage issues and have these kinds of discussions, he doesn't believe the bridge over Crescent Lake is very remarkable or historic. Kostuchuk says it also doesn't seem to meet the provincial criteria for protective status, adding folks who have an interest in preserving bridges in our area might want to consider the Rainbow Bridge at Newton as a good candidate. As for the bridge to Island Park, he notes he's fairly confident that structure would not be a good candidate for municipal, provincial, or federal designation.