Like a giant centipede, the Brooks Aqueduct spans a shallow 3.2 km wide valley, suspending a concrete sling 20 metres above the parched prairie landscape.
The Aqueduct was erected over 90 years ago by the Canadian Pacific Railway's irrigation division to serve as a vital link in its expansive irrigation network.
It stretched the limits of engineering design and technology, and at the time it was the largest concrete structure of its kind in the world. Once filled to overflowing with precious water bound for the thirsty croplands of southwestern Alberta, today it holds only memories.
Preserved and interpreted through the combined efforts of the Government of Alberta, Environment Canada, the Eastern Irrigation District, and the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration, the Brooks Aqueduct stands as a monument to pioneers who developed the region.