Saskatoon Bridge

Saskatoon is sometimes nicknamed the City of Bridges, and the title makes sense the moment you stand beside the South Saskatchewan River. The water runs through the middle of the city in a wide, slow curve, with downtown on the west bank and the leafy Nutana district on the east, and a string of crossings stitches the two sides together. Among them, the Broadway Bridge is the one that most visitors photograph, an arched concrete span with five arches, built in the early 1930s, that carries Broadway Avenue from the Nutana side toward the downtown core. Its lamp standards and clean, geometric lines belong to the Art Deco era, and its low arches reflect on the river on calm evenings.

The surrounding riverbanks are the real attraction. The Meewasin Valley Trail runs along both shores, a paved path for walkers, joggers and cyclists that passes beneath the bridges and connects parks, gardens and viewpoints. Standing at the water's edge below the arches, you see the structure at its best, with the river flowing past and the city skyline behind. Cottonwoods and willows line the banks, and in autumn the leaves turn gold against the pale sandstone-coloured concrete. Pelicans, geese and ducks use the river, and fishing from the banks is a common weekend activity.

The bridge is also a place where the city gathers. Races, parades and fun runs often cross it, and its pedestrian walkways make it a good vantage point for watching them. Because it links Nutana to downtown, it is an easy route between the cafés and independent shops of Broadway Avenue and the Remai Modern gallery and the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, with the historic Bessborough Gardens nearby on the same riverbank.

Other crossings tell the story of the city's growth. The Traffic Bridge and the University Bridge carry older and newer traffic routes, and freeway bridges to the north and south serve the ring road. A walk along the Meewasin Valley Trail from one to the next gives a quick lesson in the city's history and its relationship with the river.

Evenings and early mornings are the quietest times, and sunset brings the best light on the arches. The area is open all year, though winter ice and snow can make the paths slippery. The bridge itself is free to cross on foot, by bicycle or by car.