To commemorate the bicentennial of Laura's trek, and to provide the public with a means of crossing Twelve Mile Creek without getting their feet wet, the Friends of Laura Secord worked to get a pedestrian bridge designed and built in this significant location.
The Bridge at Laura's Crossing was installed in May 2013, and officially dedicated on June 22 – exactly two hundred years to the day after Laura Secord's momentous journey.

The land and creek here have changed dramatically in the last 200 years. And no one is absolutely certain of the exact spot where Laura Secord struggled across Twelve Mile Creek. But most bets are on a meandering stretch of the historic watercourse that's here, within the borders of Short Hills Provincial Park.

And so Brock University historian, the late Alun Hughes, identified this location as the closest practical crossing point to install a bridge. The Friends of Laura Secord then commissioned the installation of a unique, low-impact suspension footbridge to allow hikers to follow in Laura Secord's famous footsteps. And thanks to the generous financial donation of Joe Toby and his family, and the contributions of Rankin Construction, the bridge became a reality.

Conventional footbridges can have a significant impact on stream corridors. And the Friends of Laura Secord wanted to ensure that the banks and waters of 12 Mile Creek maintained their integrity

While traveling in New Zealand, Friends of Laura Secord board member, Professor David Brown discovered that the New Zealand Department of Conservation were using bridge architecture that focused on a minimal structural footprint, were economical in design, and durable. The result – the simple grace of a suspension bridge, ideally suited to ecologically sensitive areas.

And so the New Zealand Department of Conservation donated the engineering plans for the bridge design.

They were brought back to Canada, modified to the Canadian context, approved for use at this historic crossing, and given to Rankin Construction to work their magic.

And they did. And today as you cross this simple but unique bridge, remember that according to her own accounts, Laura Secord crossed the 12 Mile Creek on a fallen log.

This new footbridge makes the crossing a whole lot easier.