Crossing
the
Gut
- Then and Now
It is hard to imagine a time when the Sir Ambrose Shea lift bridge
across the Placentia gut did not exist. For us today it takes a few
seconds to drive onto the bridge and reach the other side. At one
time crossing the gut in a car was a major undertaking, as many of
today's senior citizens will tell you. The intent of this article is
to illustrate what an undertaking it really was. The information on
this topic I have obtained mainly from readings in Mrs. Eileen's
Houlihan's book, Uprooted.1
Early crossings
Crossing
the gut in a car posed a major difficulty when cars first came to the
area. The driver would have to hire two motor boats which would
then be lashed together. The car would first be driven down two
planks , the front wheels would then placed in one boat and the rear
wheels in the other. On reaching the other side the car would then be
driven up the two planks. If the driver was heading for St. John's,
he then faced a trip of at least three hours over a very poor, narrow
road to get there. The picture on the left is that of Rev. Fr. Adrian
Dee crossing the gut in April, 1922.
In 1942 a scow was put on the Placentia gut by the
Americans to transport vehicles (for travel to the wireless stations
they had set up on the Cape Shore). They later replaced this with a
pontoon bridge, but because of the strong tides the bridge
could not be kept in place. The fate of the bridge is told in a
Ballad, composed by some local residents. The
Americans then built a road through Dunville that connected with the
route to Colinet and on to St. John's. This road, completed in 1943,
was a military necessity for the Americans and a great convenience
for the travelling public.
The
Sir Ambrose Shea Motor Ferry
Kelly Brothers of Jerseyside continued to operate a motor boat on
the Gut until 1954, when the Sir Ambrose Shea was put into
service by the Liberal Government. This motor ferry was capable of
carrying several cars, as well as passengers, for a small fee. The
picture on the left was taken during the launching of the Ambrose
Shea Motor Ferry on June 16, 1954.
The
Sir Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge
(Picture taken by Innovative Photography)
The ferry continued until the present bridge - the Sir Ambrose
Shea Lift Bridge - was completed in 1961. This was quite a
welcome sight for area residents. A lift bridge was necessary because
of the many fishing boats and other craft leaving and entering the
two Arms - the North East Arm and the South East Arm. It was supposed
to be a toll bridge but Premier Joseph R. Smallwood announced in his
speech on the occasion of the formal opening that it would be
toll-free.
This bridge brought about a great change in the social life of the
area, especially for the youth who eventually were attending schools
on the Placentia side. People finally had access to social and
athletic activities in other towns and could more easily drive to
their place of employment. It was a great boost for the business
community as well.
In 1979 the Argentia Access Road to the Trans-Canada Highway was
finished, ending the isolation which had been felt for many
years.
1Houlihan, Mrs. Eileen. (1992). Uprooted. St.
John's: Creative Printers
Back to Jerseyside
Page
Back to Index of
Topics
|
|
This Page is part of a Historical and
Cultural Web Site created by students of Laval High School,
Placentia, NFLD (A0B 2Y0) .March, 2000.
|