The Star Mine Suspension Bridge, that crosses the Red Deer River in Rosedale, reopened to the public on Monday, January 29, after four years of being closed.

The support on the north-east end was in very poor condition, making it unsafe for use, and causing the town to spend $382,600 in repairs. In June of last year, the Town of Drumheller received the land and the work started in November.

“We did an inspection, incidentally during Covid, but because of flood-mitigation, of all the bridge structures in the valley. The Suspension Bridge is held up by four posts, one of which was rotted. This deemed it unsafe for visitors,” Drumheller CAO Darryl Drohomerski told the Mail in the beginning of January 2024.

“We are ecstatic that after almost four years since the suspension bridge was closed because of safety concerns, we are able to say that the bridge has been repaired and can be enjoyed by the public for many years to come. We are happy the land issues have been solved and that the town will have permanent access to the north side of the river for pedestrians and maintenance crews alike,” Drohomerksi shared upon its reopening.

Paid parking is coming this May for those visiting the bridge, except for those residents that have registered for exemption through the HotSpot app.

A brand belonging to August Fandry, one of the local cattle brands from the Standard area.

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Coming this spring, the Village of Standard will be adding a new display to their Memory Lane Park (MLP).

Local cattle brands, from the good old days and now, will be put on show in MLP on the wall in Memory Circle. The brands will be cut into corral boards, using a router tool, and will have a plaque next to the brand with the name(s) attributed to it.

There will be no fee for those wishing to contribute their brand, however donations to help cover the costs of materials and labor will be greatly valued by the Village of Standard.

Cliff Larsen, a director on the MLP board, spoke with the Mail about the project. “There are quite a few historical brands, old time brands from the turn of the century, and local people have put their brands on there,” says Larsen. “We’re still collecting but some of them are already up there.”

Memory Lane Park is a two kilometre walkway located in Standard, rich with historical images and information, and includes a newly built gazebo constructed in 2023. There is also a camp kitchen that was constructed out of repurposed beams from the old school.