Way back in 1846, a man named John Cunningham came to Alberta and settled on the shores of Big Lake near the Sturgeon River. His family has lived and farmed there ever since, and area residents have long dubbed a nearby bridge “the Cunningham bridge.”
Sturgeon County council made that name official on Tuesday.
On Jan. 25, council voted unanimously to name the bridge on Meadowview Drive east of Range Road 261A as the Cunningham Bridge in recognition of the Cunningham family and their rich Métis heritage in the area.
The Cunningham family has deep roots in this region, and generation after generation of them has given back to the community, said county chief operating officer Scott MacDougall.
Sam Cunningham was captain of the St. Albert Mounted Rifles, for example — St. Albert’s first militia group — and his brother Alfred was the group’s staff sergeant. Henry Cunningham was one of St. Albert’s first town councillors in 1904. In the 1970s, descendants Edward and Jean Comeau established Cunningham Transport, which now provides bus transport for scores of area students.
“The legacy of this family is truly amazing,” MacDougall said.
Coun. Neal Comeau said area residents have long known this bridge as the Cunningham Bridge and had asked that the name be made official. His aunt was particularly eager to have this happen.
Administration will now work with the Cunningham family on how to celebrate this name change, with plans to add a plaque or sign to the bridge later this year during planned repair work.
County commissioner Reegan McCullough said administration hopes to have a heritage naming policy before council in about eight weeks to cover future naming requests.
