History
Lions Gate: The Bridge
Free Enterprise Built
by Marco den Ouden
Originally published in The Libertarian Vol. 2, # 2 May 1979, later
republished at About.com - June 7, 1999
As a political libertarian I am opposed to government involvement in
business. More specifically I believe that anything government can do, private
enterprise can do better and more economically. And by anything, I mean
anything. Even roads and bridges. The following account tells the story of how
government obfuscation almost scuttled the creation of one of Vancouver's
greatest landmarks.
1. Prologue
For six decades, visitors to Vancouver, B.C. have enjoyed the graceful
beauty and majesty of the Lions Gate Bridge spanning the First Narrows of Burrard Inlet from Stanley Park to the north shore communities of North and West
Vancouver. May 29 marked the 60th anniversary of its official opening.
While the bridge is renowned throughout the world as a scenic attraction and
a marvel of engineering (it was the longest suspension bridge in the British
Empire at its completion), few realize that it was conceived, designed, financed
and built entirely by private individuals. Government contributed nothing to it.
Nothing, that is, but obstructions.
The concept of a bridge across the First Narrows had been envisioned as early
as 1890. But it wasn't seriously considered until the 1920's. Two companies
obtained provincial charters permitting the building of a bridge. But other
approvals were also required. Due to an organized opposition, these approvals
were not forthcoming.
Typical of the objections raised was that of the Vancouver Merchants Exchange
and the Shipping Federation of British Columbia in a 1927 brief to the federal
government. The brief argued that a bridge would obstruct shipping and
necessitate the building of new harbour facilities in English Bay at great
expense "in order that a group of foreign capitalists should be permitted to
come to the city of their own accord to build a high, light traffic toll bridge
across this water as a money-making scheme for their own profit". This
xenophobic attack on foreign investment and the profit motive anticipated much
of today's nationalistic hysteria about "American domination". It seems profits
for foreigners are dirty. Profit for Canadians, though, is akin to apple pie and
motherhood. (As long as the profits aren't too great!)
The Canadian Pacific Railway had opposed the building of a bridge since 1926
as a threat to their shipping and because a bridge would encourage the
development of West Vancouver as a luxury residential community to the detriment
of CPR's Shaughnessy housing project in South Vancouver. The CPR also exerted a
strong influence on one of Vancouver's daily newspapers, The Province. The
Province maintained editorial opposition to the bridge until 1934. A Vancouver
plebiscite turned down a bridge proposal in 1927 and the two companies holding
charters waited.
This story is of one man who had a vision of building that bridge. He was
Alfred J.T. Taylor, a native British Columbian, engineer and industrialist. It
is the story of his battle against petty bureaucratic minds and government
obstructionism. It is the story of his battle against narrow scheming private
interests who didn't hesitate to use the force of government to stop a potential
competitor and to further their own ends. It is an important story that needs
telling because men such as Taylor are all too scarce today.
Continue to next section - Opening Moves
Opening Moves | The Vancouver Plebiscite
"Bennett's Private Blockade" |
Endgame
| Epilogue |
Footnotes
|