Archival photos highlight the 1937–1938 construction period of the Lions Gate Bridge and the moment the first drivers crossed First Narrows.
The Story
Historic images revisit the Lions Gate Bridge in the late 1930s, when the span was still new and work was underway to connect Stanley Park and the Capilano River area. The bridge followed a 1933 vote in favour of the project, with 17,800 people supporting it and about 7,600 against, after which planning began.
By the spring of 1937, shovels were in the ground and crews began by clearing forest on each side, since the roads leading up to the bridge had to be built. Just under 20 months later, the first drivers crossed First Narrows.
A Vancouver Province article from Nov. 14, 1938 described the opening day mood, saying, "In a typical Vancouver drizzle, discordantly honking horns broke the morning stillness," and that "Cheerful salutes were exchanged by drivers passing in opposite directions." The paper added that the Lions Gate Bridge was open.
The first person to cross was C.H. Chamberlain, a resident of Lower Capilano, who reportedly arrived at the toll booth at 4 a.m. The first people to cross from the south were Douglas Craig and Jimmy Pratt, who arrived at 11:30 p.m., then slept overnight.
The construction project used prefabricated essential cables as a major innovation. The wire was created in the United States, shipped to Quebec to be turned into cables, spooled up, and then sent by train to Vancouver, where it was hoisted into place and tightened. Some installation had to take place at night because daytime heat caused the cables to expand and slip out of place.
Work was carried out with catwalks built along the bridge, featuring wooden platforms for workers; the archival photos include views of those catwalks. The evidence also notes one fatality during construction: Lester Thorstad, 32, was killed in October 1937 after being crushed when clay and gravel fell into a pit at one of the anchor points for the main cables.
Another incident mentioned in connection with the construction involved Harold Brekka, who was caught in a cave-in but survived with relatively minor injuries.
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