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Recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2004, Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge has been called “an iconic symbol of Vancouver” by the Canadian Encyclopedia and “one of the most photographed landmarks” in the city by Vancouver’s Best Places. When a classic suspension bridge captures and commands so much attention, you know it must have a rich and storied history. Indeed, when it was first opened in 1939, the bridge was hailed as an architectural and engineering marvel for three major reasons: 1) With a span of 473 meters, it is recognized as one of the longest bridges in Canada; 2) The open steelwork of the of the twin towers and thin deck make the bridge relatively lightweight; and, 3) The use of prefabricated cables was “breakthrough” at the time. The end result is a bridge practical in nature yet aesthetically pleasing to this place and space. There had been significant and long debate about building a bridge across the first narrows of Burrard Inlet. Most were concerned about the potential impacts to Stanley Park; however, what swung people in favour of constructing the Lions Gate Bridge was the simple fact that the city wouldn’t have to pay for it. The Guinness family (yes, of beer fame) agreed to foot the bill because building such a vital link would provide access to their British Properties development and, concomitantly, help further expand West Vancouver. Indeed, with the fullness of time, Lions Gate has helped to facilitate the economic and social growth of Vancouver’s North Shore. In the 21st century there can be little doubt that Lions Gate is aesthetically pleasing to look at, especially in comparison to more modern bridges like the Port Mann (see my earlier review on this site); however, if one is using it for practical purposes – to get from A to B – then it can be a bit of a nightmare to cross during the so-called rush hours. The Lions Gate Bridge has 3 lanes for vehicle traffic. This means that traffic is sometimes two lanes in one direction and a single lane in the other, depending upon traffic flow. In short, crossing the bridge at peak times can be an arduous process. I remember coming from the Capilano Suspension Bridge a few years ago. To avoid having to deal with the snail’s pace at Lions Gate, I detoured to the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge. Viewing Lions Gate from a touristy perspective, great views of the bridge can be had from Prospect Point in Stanley Park, or at various places along the Seawall. In addition, you can also walk on the bridge from Prospect Point thanks to the pedestrian and cyclist sidewalk; however, if you choose to walk on it, be very cautious of speeding cyclists – they think they own the darn pedestrian walkway. Enjoy! PS: Some random trivia. If you’ve visited, or are coming from Canada’s East coast, you may notice similarities between this bridge and the MacDonald Bridge in Halifax. The design is eerily similar and the colour is the same. That’s because both bridges were designed by Charles Monsarrat and Philip Pratley. How cool is that!?…
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Date of experience: November 2020
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Lions Gate bridge can easily be referred as the spine running between Vancouver and North Shore. Anyone living on either sides cannot do without it
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Date of experience: September 2020
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A heck of a bridge. We saw this bridge (you can't miss it) from all angles. And whichever way you look at it, it is impressive. It was originally called the First Narrows Bridge as it spans the first narrows of the Burrard Inlet into Vancouver. The suspension bridge is 1,823 metres (5,981 ft) and is guarded by two lions at the south. The term "Lions Gate" refers to The Lions, a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver. Northbound traffic on the bridge heads in their general direction. A pair of cast concrete lions were placed on either side of the south approach to the bridge in January 1939 hence its name. It opened to traffic on November 14, 1938 and on May 29, 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the current Queen's Mother) presided over the official opening during a royal visit to Canada.…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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Lions Gate Bridge is the iconic suspension bridge which joins Vancouver main city to North and West Vancouver across the Burrard Inlet to the harbour. It connects from the northern end of Stanley Park to the North Shore municipalities of North Vancouver and West Vancouver. One gets excellent views of the Burrard Inlet, Vancouver harbour and the surrounding mountains from the bridge. The bridge is named after the two lion peaks on the North Shore. The Lions Gate Bridge compares well with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, although the latter is taller and longer. We got a very panoramic view of the full length of the bridge from the Prospect Point Lookout. It is a relatively narrow three lane bridge and gets quite congested during rush hour. We walked down to the south end of the bridge and saw the two stone lions guarding the bridge. Although one can enter and walk or cycle on the bridge we did not try it.…
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Date of experience: August 2019
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This bridge is a prominent landmark in Vancouver which lights up nicely at night. From Prospect Point Lookout you can get a nice view of it. From there we walked down the path to get to the entrance of the bridge where we saw two some lions guarding the entrance to the bridge. We also took the bus offer this bridge to get to the ferry to Vancouver Island.…
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Date of experience: December 2019
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