Anna Bartlett reminisces about spending every day swimming and hanging out with friends at Keremeos’ Red Bridge. This year is the bridge’s 100th anniversary and the village of Keremeos is celebrating it with a number of events on Saturday.

A historic landmark has bridged the gap between generations.

Keremeos’ Red Bridge celebrates a century of service this month and the village is planning a big celebration.

“It’s a valuable piece of history,” said Anna Bartlett, Red Bridge centennial committee chairman. “... it’s why Keremeos is here.”

The bridge is an important landmark to Bartlett as she’s lived within walking distance of it all her life.

“It was a place that as a kid we went every afternoon ... and it was our piece of heaven where we swam and tubed — it had the cleanest water,” she recalled, adding the bridge is still used today for the same purposes.

The Red Bridge — the last-known covered bridge in western Canada — was originally built as a supplement to the Great Northern Railway which travelled throughout the gold mining area of Hedley-Princeton.

Of five bridges built over the Similkameen River (from the American border to Princeton) the Red Bridge is the sole survivor.

In 1954 the railway line was abandoned in 1954 but the Red Bridge stays in its location — today many use it for access to Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park and the Ashnola Valley.

But the bridge’s story doesn’t end there. Since its closure it has still created a number of memorable stories for the community.

In 1972 a flood caused a log jam on one side of the bridge so a crane was set up and its operator would pick up logs from one side and transfer them to the other side of the bridge.

Ed Morgan, or “Pegleg” Morgan as Bartlett remembers him, lived on the opposite side of the bridge from her and he was very concerned about protecting his lumber during the flooding.

“He got into a canoe ... and washed into the river,” she recalled, adding he was soon caught in the log jam. “The crane picked him up and put him on the shore.”

While the flood severely damaged another bridge, the Red Bridge survived and continues on today.

In 2005 it was updated when it was restored and a new exterior was installed.

The Red Bridge centennial party takes place Saturday at three different locations throughout Keremeos — Memorial Park for a pancake breakfast; the Red Bridge for a comedy skit, silent auction and sharing of stories; and more theatrics along with a dance at Victory Hall.

For more information about the Red Bridge and the centennial celebrations, visit the Similkameen Information Centre or call 250-499-5225.