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The Railway Dam &
Pump House
Little Saskatchewan River, while providing challenges for construction,
was indispensable for the operations of the Grand Trunk Railway in
Rivers.
Like all small prairie rivers, the Little Saskatchewan is very
seasonal, and slows to a trickle during dry summers. By 1910, a dam was
constructed to back up a dependable supply of water, and a pump house
built to send the water uphill to the water tower located near the
roundhouse.
The dam
was near the centre in this photo. Note the abandoned Lenore
Branch rail bed circling in from the top left and the Cossar Crossing
site at the top left.
The dam was quite near the rival CPR line at Cossar Crossing on the CPR
branch line which connected Brandon with Lenore is shown in the top
half of this photo. It was the first railway to serve the region. The
site of the former bridge is quite visible at the top right. The pump
house is hidden along the trees at centre left.
The dam, and the small lake it created, soon became a popular spot for
swimming, picnicking and fishing.
Much of the dam has been washed away in recent years, but parts of the
structure remain visible when the water is low.
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