Bridge renamed after longtime MLA Ty Lund

A prominent bridge in Rocky Mountain House now bears the name of one of the community’s longest-serving elected officials.

The west-side Highway 11A bridge is now officially known as the Honourable Ty Lund North Saskatchewan River Bridge, honouring the longtime Rocky Mountain House MLA who represented the riding from 1989 to 2012.

The new name was unveiled during a July 24 ceremony attended by dignitaries from Clearwater County, the town of Rocky Mountain House and current MLA Jason Nixon.

Lund served in several cabinet portfolios under premiers Ralph Klein and Ed Stelmach, including environmental protection, agriculture, government services, and infrastructure and transportation. As minister of environmental protection, he also represented Alberta on international trips.

Rocky Ag Society president Allan Sunde, who knew Lund for many years, said he could be stubborn but was also widely respected and considered a friend and neighbour by many throughout the region.

Sunde said Lund’s reputation for honesty and determination carried through his years serving on local boards, Clearwater County council and later in senior cabinet positions with the Alberta government.

Tom Clark, who managed two of Lund’s six provincial election campaigns, described Lund as a straight shooter who genuinely cared about his constituents.

“He cared, he was honest, he didn’t B.S. anybody — he just told the truth,” Clark said. He added that Lund consistently stood up for the riding during a time when provincial politics often pitted rural and urban interests against one another.

Nixon said Lund’s political longevity was itself a significant accomplishment.

“We were looking for ways to honour him and respect his legacy — one of the reasons we landed on the bridge was because Minister Lund was a longtime transportation minister in our province,” Nixon said. “It seemed fitting that a piece of infrastructure like that be named after him in his community.”

Lund served under Klein during the fiscal challenges of the 1990s. Nixon said Lund had the courage to make difficult decisions during that period.

Nixon also credited Lund with several reforms, including modernizing the Alberta Conservation Association by introducing the province’s current licensing system for hunting and fishing tags. He added that Lund was a strong advocate for Alberta’s forestry industry and promoted its long-term sustainability.

“It’s a unique way to recognize someone who didn’t always get everything right — I think if Ty was here he’d say the same,” Nixon said. “But anybody who dedicates three decades of their life to public service inside Rocky Mountain House and Clearwater County deserves some recognition.”

Nixon noted that environment was the first cabinet portfolio for both him and Lund.

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Lund was born in Rocky Mountain House in 1938 and was a third-generation family farmer before and after his political career. He entered public office in 1980 when he was elected as a councillor for the Municipal District of Clearwater.

After serving nine years on county council, including the final three as reeve, Lund was elected as the Progressive Conservative MLA for Rocky Mountain House in 1989. He won re-election five times and represented the riding for 23 years before retiring in 2012.

Lund died in 2021 at the age of 82.