"The Kissing Bridge" at West Montrose, near Elmira, is the sole covered bridge in Ontario.

Back in 1881 when Woolwich Township councillors commissioned John Bear to build a bridge across the Grand River at West Montrose, they told him to include a roof and solid sides on the new structure. Evidently the sensible German and Scots burghers reasoned that it made sense to spend a few extra dollars to prolong the bridge's life by protecting it from snow and rain.

After the covered bridge was opened, it didn't take teenage couples long to discover that it was a great place to steal a kiss on a horse and buggy ride.

Ontario's last remaining covered bridge is still in use at West Montrose, 90 km west of Toronto. Lots of teens -- and older couples -- still stop for a kiss while driving over it. Nearby is a 45-km hiking, bicycling and skiing path between Guelph and Millbank along a former railway line.

When five citizen groups who built the hiking path were ready to open it in 2000, they held a contest to select a name. Jeremy Weber, a Grade 8 student from Elmira, took first prize. He said, "Call it the Kissing Bridge Trail" and won himself a new bike.

If you feel like a drive down to the heart of Ontario's Mennonite country, you can go across the Kissing Bridge, take a walk along the Kissing Bridge Trail and visit Elmira, famous for restaurants featuring Canadian-German food, antique shops and horse and buggy traffic.

Art Woods, an Elmira lawyer who grew up on a nearby farm and has become noted for community work with the Elmira Lions Club, took time to drive to West Montrose to tell me about the Kissing Bridge and trail.

When the Canadian Pacific Railway closed its Guelph to Goderich railway line, the Ontario government bought the right of way and leased 45 km of it to the County of Wellington and the Region of Waterloo. The county and region then co-operated to set up a trail committee and arranged to have five groups of volunteers build and maintain what was to become the Kissing Bridge trail. The Elmira Lions Club looks after one section and has raised $200,000 to build five bridges and to surface the pathway.

If you go to West Montrose to see the 60-metre bridge, you'll find it surrounded by private property with only two public parking areas. One is across from the Lost Acre Variety Store at a postal box location. The other is about 0.5 km left of the far side of the bridge.

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BOTTOM LINE

For more information about the covered bridge and trail, call Ann Roberts at the Woolwich Township Office, 519-669-1647 ext. 265 or Art WoodsÕ office, 519-669-5101.< To get to West Montrose, take Hwy. 401 to Hwy. 6 North at Exit 295. Go north on 6 for 15 km to Hwy. 7 West. Go left on for 2 km to traffic lights at Elmira Rd. Turn right up Elmira (former Hwy. 86) for 14 km to the Grand River. Take the first road left past the Grand. Go down this road about 0.5 km to the Kissing Bridge and West Montrose.

To get to the Kissing Bridge trail, go back out to Elmira Rd. Cross this road onto Middlebrook Rd. and a short distance will take you to the trail crossing. To get to the trail in Elmira, go left on Elmira Rd. to Arthur St. Go right on Arthur to the trail crossing...