Dominion Brook Park has a new and unique feature – the first segmented arch dry stone bridge in Canada west of Ontario.
Built in the traditional style of a Scottish packhorse footbridge with local natural stone, the bridge crosses the Brook at the upper end of the Rhododendron Ravine. It is an 8-foot span, 16 feet long, four feet wide with a cobbled surface.
Dry stone construction is done without mortar to bind the stones. Instead, gravity and friction work with the position and weight of the stones themselves to keep the structure in place. The craftsmen who build using the dry stone method are very skilled and the resulting structures are very long lasting.
The bridge was funded by the Friends of Dominion Brook Park Society, with rock donated by Peninsula Rock Products and Brackenhurst Farm Ltd. A generous donation from an anonymous Park supporter covered a big portion of the costs.
Five stone masons participated in a learning workshop and built the bridge over a period of 8 days in September 2018. The project was led by John Shaw-Rimmington, President of Dry Stone Walling Across Canada (DSWAC). DSWAC promotes dry stone construction through teaching, demonstrations, competitions and presentations.
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Alice Finall, District of North Saanich Mayor (2018)
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