December 21, 2018
Manitoba Government Names Major Bridge After Former Premier
A new bridge along the Trans-Canada Highway has been formally named after a former premier of Manitoba, Premier Brian Pallister and Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced today.
“Recognizing and celebrating the history of Manitoba and the people who have contributed to building our province is a priority we share with Manitobans,” said Pallister. “Former premier Sterling Lyon served our province admirably and this tribute is befitting of the work he did to build the Manitoba we have today.”
Sterling Lyon served as an MLA from 1958 to 1969, and from 1976 to 1986. In that time, he served in numerous cabinet positions under former premier Duff Roblin including serving a total of nine years as Manitoba’s attorney general. In 1977, Lyon was elected premier of Manitoba. In 1986, Lyon was appointed to the Manitoba Court of Appeal, serving until his retirement in 2002.
“Our family thanks Premier Pallister and Minister Schuler for recognizing our Dad’s lifelong public service with the naming of the Sterling Lyon Bridge,” said eldest daughter Nancy (Lyon) Matthews. “The number one highway bridge between Winnipeg and his beloved hometown of Portage la Prairie was a well-travelled one for Dad and he would be thrilled with this honour.”
The Trans-Canada Highway bridge over the Assiniboine River in the Rural Municipality of St. Francois Xavier will be named ‘Sterling Lyon Bridge’. The Sterling Lyon Bridge on the Trans-Canada Highway is a significant crossing on the Assiniboine River consisting of two structures, one eastbound and one westbound. The new structure is both wider and longer than the previous bridge, which was constructed in 1965. The Sterling Lyon Bridge opened to traffic earlier this fall.
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