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Lions Gate Bridge - Vancouver, British Columbia

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One of the most beautiful bridges along the West Coast in North America, and also one of the most storied bridges in Canada is the Lions Gate Bridge, which crosses the Burrard Inlet between Vancouver and West Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions Gate Bridge gets its name from the Lions, which are a pair of mountains to the north of Vancouver that are visible around the city. The BC Lions of the Canadian Football League also get their name from the Lions, so the name carries a lot of cachet around Vancouver. Built as a suspension bridge and opened to the public in 1938, the Lions Gate Bridge is 1,517 meters (4,977 feet) long with a main span of 472 meters (1,550 feet) in length.


The idea of building a bridge across the First Narrows of the Burrard Inlet was not new when it came time to build the Lions Gate Bridge. There were proposals and discussions for a bridge crossing the Burrard Inlet in Vancouver as early as the 1890s, but it was not until the 1920s that plans for constructing a bridge began to take hold. The first order of business was to obtain a right of way through historic Stanley Park, as it is at one of the narrowest parts between the Burrard Inlet and Vancouver Harbor. Going through the park to build a road was a controversial issue, but the promise of jobs was too good to turn down. In 1933, the Park Board voted in favor, with just one commissioner opposed. Then in December 1933, approval for building the bridge was approved through a city-wide vote.

After a few years of planning, construction on the Lions Gate Bridge began on March 31, 1937, by clearing ten acres of Stanley Park to create the right-of-way. The First Narrows Bridge Company was formed to employ the bridge workers, and the bridge was financed mostly through private investment, namely Alfred J.T. Taylor and the Guinness Brewing Company, who had land holdings known as the British Properties in West Vancouver. The design elements of the bridge were done through the firm Monsarrat and Pratley. Upon completion of construction in November 1938 at a total cost of $5,873,837.17, the Lions Gate Bridge was recognized as the longest suspension bridge in the British Empire and one of the biggest construction projects undertaken in Canada that decade. The bridge officially opened on May 29, 1939, with King George VI present.

When the Lions Gate Bridge first opened, it was a toll bridge. The toll was $0.25 for motor vehicles as well as the horse and carriage, although I think the horse and carriage were mostly fading from prominence by the end of the 1930s. Pedestrians were also charged a toll of $0.05 for pedestrians. In 1955, the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority acquired the bridge and on April 1, 1963, tolls were removed from the bridge.

Numerous elements define the heritage character of the Lions Gate Bridge. These elements include its natural surroundings at the First Narrows and Stanley Park, with the backdrop of the mountains to its north. The open steelwork of the suspension bridge's towers allows the bridge to blend well with its picturesque setting. At the time it was opened, the Lions Gate Bridge was considered to be remarkable due to its length and the technical innovations deployed in cable use and construction, along with a thin deck. But over time, the traveling experience on the Lions Gate Bridge also saw improvements. A third lane was added in 1952 for passing, although this narrowed the lanes for traffic. Safety and structural improvements took place during the 1970s as well. White lights were added to the bridge in 1986 as part of the lead into Expo '86.

By 1995, the Province of British Columbia announced the Lions Gate Bridge would have to either be repaired or replaced. However, it took a grassroots campaign from Heritage Vancouver and others to save the bridge. In 1998, the Province of British Columbia agreed to fix the bridge rather than replace it, and in doing so, managed to reconstruct the bridge with nighttime and weekend closures, while otherwise keeping the bridge fully operational. The reconstruction included the removal of the entire stiffening truss and the replacement of a deck truss with an orthotropic deck. Panels were carefully designed for quick replacement, and the details were tolerant of possible errors in the fabrication. Engineers developed a custom lifting gantry for lowering the existing truss sections to the water and raising the new sections, allowing for the reconstruction to happen on the fly and to keep disruptions at a minimum. This also marked the first time that the suspended spans of a suspension bridge were replaced while keeping the bridge open to traffic.

Today, the Lions Gate Bridge remains an icon of Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Visitors to Stanley Park can get an up-close view of the bridge from various angles and viewpoints. There are other places around Vancouver where you can also see the Lions Gate Bridge from afar, such as from the overlook going up Cypress Mountain. I've personally managed to visit the Lions Gate Bridge twice. The first time was in 1995, so when the opportunity arose to go through Vancouver in September 2024, I made it a point to see the Lions Gate Bridge again, taking in as much as I could. 

There are two concrete Art Deco lion sculptures at the south entrance of the Lions Gate Bridge, created by Vancouver sculptor Charles Marega. The lion sculptures were Marega's last pieces of art, as he passed away just a couple of months after the lions were installed at the bridge's entrance at Stanley Park. It is also said that one of Alfred J.T. Taylor's baby shoes is encased inside one of the sculptures.

Driving southbound on the Lions Gate Bridge. During the late afternoon and early evening, there are two lanes of traffic heading south into Vancouver. The bridge carries a British Columbia provincial highway, BC 99, which runs from the Peace Arch at the border with Washington State, through Vancouver, the Lions Gate Bridge, the Sea to Sky Highway, and ultimately to BC 97 just north of Cache Creek, British Columbia. The bridge also carried BC 1A until its decommissioning in 2006 between West Vancouver and Surrey.

I ventured down to the Stanley Park Seawall Path to get this view of the Lions Gate Bridge. There were plenty of boats cruising under the bridge that day. You can also get a similar view from higher up at Prospect Point.

A different view of the Lions Gate Bridge as seen from the Stanley Park Seawall Path. At this point, golden hour was starting to set in and I still wanted to make it across town.


Driving northbound onto the Lions Gate Bridge.


A view of the Lions Gate Bridge, Burrard Inlet, and downtown Vancouver as seen from the Cypress Lookout on the way up Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver. You may also spot a speck of white near the base of the Lions Gate Bridge at Stanley Park. That is the Prospect Point Lighthouse.


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Sources and Links:
West Vancouver - Lions Gate Bridge
HistoricBridges.org - Lions Gate Bridge
Vancouver Heritage Foundation - Lions Gate Bridge
Vancouver Is Awesome - 5 things you (probably) didn't know about the Lions Gate Bridge
American Bridge Company - Lions Gate Bridge Rehabilitation
Journal of Commerce - The Lions Gate Bridge: A legacy that spans the globe
Canadian Society for Civil Engineering - Lions’ Gate Bridge
Museum & Archives of North Vancouver - Building a Vancouver Icon: The Lions Gate Bridge
Parks Canada Directory of Federal Heritage Designations - Lions Gate Bridge National Historic Site of Canada
Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours - The Lions Gate Bridge – and the Lions Who Guard It
StanleyParkVan.com - Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, BC, Canada
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