It was 50 years ago today that dignitaries and local residents flocked to the brand new Macdonald-Cartier Bridge.

The 617-metre long, six-lane bridge over the Ottawa River was inaugurated on Oct. 15, 1965. It had been under construction for two years, and on that day it was filled with people — on bikes, in cars and on foot.

Many important dignitaries took in the bridge's inauguration, which involved placing a bronze plaque midway between the two provinces it connected. They included the then-premiers of both Quebec and Ontario, Jean Lesage and John Robarts, as well as the prime minister of the day, Lester Pearson.

The bridge is currently in the midst of a $5 million upgrade, including its deck, sidewalks and concrete surface.

In the piece of archival footage above, federal public works minister George McIlraith talks about the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, days before its inauguration.