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A4 | NEWS nsnews.com north shore news WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018

KEITH BALDREY: VOTERS SPLIT ON ELECTORAL REFORM AS DEADLINE NEARS PAGE 8 B [email protected]

Deep in the Seymour River valley, the rattle of an impact drill echoes off the canyon walls. Crews are installing some of the final deck planks on the North Shore’s newest suspen sion bridge.

the media for sneak peek of the bridge in its final weeks of construction on Friday.

and equestrians should be able to resume crossing the bridge by mid-Decem ber, according to Metro .

staff and myself are extremely excited to get this bridge back open. It’s been a long time and we’re going to be using it as much as the public to do maintenance and things on the other side. It’s going to be good,” said Mike Mayers, divi Clockwise from left: Construction of Gate Bridge, circa 1938. PHOTO SUPPLIED ARCHIVES Painting contractors at work below the bridge towers in 2005, the year Lions Gate sion manager of watershed was designated a national historic site by the federal government, and officially proclaimed a Canadian engineering landmark. FILE PHOTO MIKE WAKEFIELD At the official opening of Lions Gate in operations and protection 1938, West Vancouver Reeve Joseph Leyland and Vancouver Mayor George Miller stand on the bridge with a reporter from CKWX and a group of children. PHOTO SUPPLIED WEST VANCOUVER ARCHIVES for Metro Vancouver. A cruise ship passes through the First Narrows in this 1991 image. FILE PHOTO STUART DAVIS rock slide choked off the Lions Gate opens to autos 80 years ago today Bridge to the future

MARIA RANTANEN to advertise the attractions of the entire region,” he said. Second Narrows connection [email protected] than the But for Croll, it’s not just was gone. continued use of so common the engineering aspect of the In June 1930, the First Eighty years ago and kindergarten a name as bridge that impresses him. Narrows Bridge Co. was Vancouverites first walked ‘First Narrows.’ ” “The esthetics of the formed out of two compa- across a new span from The bridge was built by the bridge, something about how nies. But Taylor didn’t have to West Guinness family to encour- it’s like a gateway to the har- enough capital to build the Vancouver – a bridge that age people to move to their bour. … There’s an emotional bridge, so he approached the was to be the entrance to newly acquired British Pacific impact there, not just a techni- Guinness family. A deal was Greater Vancouver, like Properties, 4,000 acres of cal,” Croll said. made that the Guinness family another famous bridge in prime real estate that they For Expo 86, the Guinness would buy 4,000 acres in West California. The Lions Gate purchased for $75,000 with a family donated lights that Vancouver for $75,000 and Bridge opened to pedestri- promise to build amenities to illuminate the bridge at night, they formed the British Pacific ans on Nov. 12, 1938, and go with the homes planned nicknamed Gracie’s Necklace Properties. to cars two days later. for West Vancouver. BPP spent after MP Grace McCarthy, who A plebescite on Dec. 13, West Vancouver archives $6 million building the bridge, co-ordinated the gift. 1933 in Vancouver finally gave show articles going back $102 million in today’s dollars. There was talk already in a green light to the project. to 1926 that describe the Geoff Croll, the current 1914 of building a bridge, but Everything was in place to construction of the bridge, ini- president of BPP, said the in 1926, this talk got serious build the bridge, except the tially called the “First Narrows transformed and funds were put aside to federal permit. The prime min- Bridge.” The West Van News, and West A painter walks the dable of Lions Gate Bridge above Stanley build it. However, the citizens ister of the day, R.B. Bennett, in a front-page article on May Vancouver from “sleepy little Park in this 1991 image. FILE PHOTO STUART DAVIS of Vancouver in a plebiscite was asking for a span of 1,800 14, 1926, declared that “Lion’s cottage communities” to what that year rejected the idea of a although the plan was for a Gate” was a better name they are today, thanks to the bridge and it was put on ice. 457-metre span. as the entrance to Greater foresight of a local engineer opposition and stalling from other bridges. Opposition to the bridge Federal assent was Vancouver. and entrepreneur, Alfred the federal government. “As an engineer, I marvel at partly stemmed from the fact given on April 29, 1936 after “(First Narrows) is not James Towle Taylor. “I find the persistence and how quickly they built it – at the access point would be Bennett’s Conservative a distinctive name for the “What I find fascinating is drive of A.J. Taylor to make the time it was the longest Stanley Park, which meant government was defeated entrance to a channel nor is it the vision of A.J. Taylor who that happen – when a lot of span of the British Empire,” a road through the pristine and even more political an euphonious one,” declared really pushed that project other people would have Croll said, adding that they green space. intrigues within the Liberal the West Van News. forward,” Croll said. “He was given up or walked away from needed to use new technol- However, on Sept. 19, 1930, government. The article goes on to cite a visionary who really saw the it – it’s a real testament to his ogy, a new design and new there was a shipping accident Seventeen years after the the name of the “Golden Gate potential of what that bridge vision that it went through,” ways of construction to build that knocked the Second bridge was built, it was bought Bridge” in , how could do.” Croll said. the bridge. Later, similar Narrows Bridge out of com- by the province and the tolls it is known worldwide as the This was especially Croll said he’s impressed bridges were built throughout mission for four years. were removed. Croll pointed entrance to the “Golden State impressive, given there was at the ingenuity of the bridge the world. Opposition to the plans for out that the bridge was in of California.” Using the name no money from any level of design and points out it was “It was a feat, not just for a new bridge at First Narrows “Lion’s Gate” would “do more government, significant public used as a model for building our company but I think for quickly dissipated when the See Cypress page 5 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018 north shore news nsnews.com NEWS | A5 New Seymour suspension bridge nearing completion

BRENT RICHTER “During the week we’d [email protected] see hundreds of people dur- ing the day. On a weekend, Deep in the Seymour maybe up to a thousand. I River valley, the rattle would expect when it first British Pacific Properties established a vital connection between of an impact drill echoes opens, we’re going to see Vancouver and the North Shore by constructing the Lions Gate off the canyon walls. a real rush of people to get Bridge. PHOTO SUPPLIED WEST VANCOUVER ARCHIVES Crews are installing back to their regular routine, some of the final deck and also to see the third planks on the North suspension bridge on the Cypress Village envisioned Shore’s newest suspen- North Shore. We’ve got one sion bridge. on every major river now.” as a complete community Metro Vancouver invited Surespan contractors the media for sneak peek of have been at work in the From page 4 land developer.” the bridge in its final weeks 73-metre long, 2.5-metre BPP has been planning of construction on Friday. wide suspension bridge good shape when it was its next vision – the Cypress Hikers, mountain bikers since May. handed over to the province Village development in the and equestrians should be Mayers said it is coming because the tolls were used Upper Lands, a complete com- able to resume crossing in on its $2-million budget. for maintenance. munity where residents can the bridge by mid-Decem- Even after the bridge itself is By 1998, it was in rough live, work and play, Croll said, ber, according to Metro complete, Metro crews will shape, but the province 12 minutes from the beach Vancouver. still have to rebuild some of decided, instead of rebuilding and 12 minutes from the ski “I think Metro Vancouver the connections that the bridge, to refurbish it. slopes with a private transit staff and myself are were lost to flooding on the The Lions Gate Bridge was service. extremely excited to get this east side of the river. transformative for the North This, he believes, is bridge back open. It’s been Metro hasn’t quite settled Shore, and benefited many the vision that’s needed to a long time and we’re going yet on what the name for the others, not just BPP, Croll said. wean the region off single- to be using it as much as the new bridge will be. “As far as I can tell, we occupancy cars and fight the public to do maintenance For a time, it was going are the only developer on gridlock. and things on the other by the working title of the North Shore that put any “If we do this right, we can side. It’s going to be good,” The new suspension bridge at Fisherman’s Trail as it looks Fisherman’s Trail Bridge but money into infrastructure show the region that this is said Mike Mayers, divi- from the eastern shore of Seymour River on Friday. Mayers said they are now like that and every other a way forward,” he said. “We PHOTO MIKE WAKEFIELD sion manager of watershed leaning toward calling it the developer who’s come since call this village our bridge to operations and protection Seymour River, temporarily Mayers said he is expect- Seymour Suspension Bridge, has had the full benefit of that the future. We think what the for Metro Vancouver. swamping the original Twin ing trail users of all kinds in keeping with its cousins bridge being there,” Croll said. Lions Gate Bridge was to the In December 2014, a Bridges and making the span will be glad to have their across the “We certainly did more than 1930s, the Cypress Village can rock slide choked off the structurally unstable. bridge back. and Lynn Creek. what was required of us as a be to West Vancouver in 2018.”

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