HS Span’s story is filled with intrigue Katharine Hamer Contributing Writer LONG before the headache-inducing traf- fic snarls and debates about resurfacing, there was a time when the Lions Gate Bridge was heralded as the start of a new age. The North Vancouver museum hosted a lecture Tuesday night by local her- itage expert Don Laxton, who has spent years research- ing the history of the bridge, and is the co-author (along with West Vancouverite Lilia D’Acres) of a forthcoming book on the subject. Bridge to Heaven will be published by Talon Books in the autumn. Luxton, who is a former director of both Heritage Vancouver and the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, initially got involved in che battle to save the bridge a few years ago — and has been hooked ever since. “It’s hard to imagine now that a decision has been taken to refurbish the bridge,” he said. “In 1983, the province wanted to dismantle it. Try and imagine what people would sav about Vancouver if we didn’t have the Lions Gate Bridge — it’s like the symbol of Vancouver; the welcoming arch across the harbour. It’s the single image that people recognize when they visit.” According to the author, the Lions Gate Bridge story is one of political intrigue, with discussions about its original construction going “right to the Prime Minister’s door. There were stories of brief cases in washrooms and RCMP protection against death threats,” he said. “If (getting the bridge buiit) was complicated 60 years ago, imagine how ridiculous it would be now, how many government bodies would need to be involved,” said Luxton. “tt took (bridge engineer A.J.T. Taylor) five years to convince the feds,” said Luxton. “CPR blocked the bridge’s construction because they were devel- oping (and trying to sell land in) Shaughnessy at the Police identify body found in North Van park Anna Marie D'Angelo time — the last thing they wanted was competition trom West Vancouver.” When construction finally got under way, it was “the biggest show in town,” said Luxton, “and it was free — people used to congregate every day to watch builders, wearing fedoras, hanging off the cables.” Taylor, who considered the bridge his greatest achievement, is rumoured to have put his story and a pair of his baby shoes in the head of one of Charles Marega’s famous stone tions at the south end of the bridge. When he died, he had his ashes scattered from the bridge. When the province purchased the bridge in 1955, ministers immediately began saying it was “totally inadequate.” The Lions Gate had been built for two lanes of traffic. It was expected that out of the then- population of ovo million people, only one out of seven would ever have a car. It soon became clear thar this was not the case. Though in 1952, a third lane was opened and designated as a passing lane, it still wasn’t enough to carry the increase in traffic. uver mayo Friday, April 30, 1999 — North Shore News -- 3 AY NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge iS it a lion, or is it a nian pretending to be a lion? Historian Don Luxton poses with Lion's Gate replicas at the North Vancouver Museum Tuesday. Bue claims that the Lions Gate is structurally unstable are untrue, he said. “Those towers could take another three Janes and support a double deck. The fact is, they just wanted to build a new bridge.” In the "60s, Luxton said, the subject of a “myth- ical third crossing” of the inlet was brought up at vir- tually every election, Eventually, in 1975, engincers Buckland & Taylor began upgrading work on the existing bridge, redecking the north viaduct and implementing the hanging sidewalk. “The plans we sce now are an extension of that,” said Luxton. “It’s a structural upgrade. In the mean- time, I’m really glad the bridge is still here. To me, thar bridge is an inseparable part of the harbour, the city, the landscape.” The North Vancouver museum is currently run- ning an exhibition on the history of the bridge, fea- turing film, photos, and artifacts including bridg-: fragments, a replica of the lions, and a commemora- tive biscuit tin. ~The museum is located at 209 West 4th St. in North Vancouver. Call 987-5618 for information. Park entrance closure irks W. Vane: F News Reporter dangelo@nsnews.com A body found in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park on Feb. 25 has been ideutified as Biroshi Yoshitake of Japan. Yoshitake, 30, lived in Vancouver. He planned to stay in Canada for four months on a working holiday. North Vancouver RCMP Const. Heidi Hoffman said at the time of Yoshitake’s disappearance he was working part-time as a gardener for different busi- nesses. His landlord had gone on a month- long holidny. Two North Shore residents found the body while hiking the Cedar Mills Creck trail with their dog. The trail is three kilo- mictres from the park’s entrance. An autopsy ruled out foul play. The cause of death was drowning. Police believe that Yoshitake died about two days before his body was found. Police speculate that Yoshitake was walking alone, slipped and fell ints the water. Yoshitake’s body was identified through dental records. The dead man’s parents came from Japan to retrieve the body. Yoshitake’s farnily planned to have the body cremated. Closed causeway exit from N. Shore raises traffic concerns Bob Mackin ; News Reporter TESTING, testing. They just keep testing. The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation voted last Monday to contin- uc a test closure of the southbound entrance to Stanley Park from the cause- way on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The exit will remain off-limits to vehi- cles from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. .on weekends through at least Victoria Day weekend. West Vancouver mayor Pat Boname says closure of the exit will slow traffic on the already jammed Lions Gate Bridge and affect flows on Marine Drive in Borth and West Vancouver. “I don’t understand what the parks board is doing,” Boname said. “All cf us are spending money to get tourists to travel through. One of the high- lights in any travel brochure is Stanley Park. ‘They’re mak- ing it more difficult to get into Stanley Park. People are coming from Whistler and the Sunshine Coast. They’re going through West Van.” Boname admits she frequently uses the Park Drive instead of continuing along the causeway because it’s a “therapeutic, pleasurable use of the park.” “I’m not sure if the board sees people driving around the park as one way of enjoying the beauty of the park,” MAYOR Boname... board — began making it more difficult to get to Stanley Park. she said. With fewer people arriving from the causeway exit on weekends, Prospect Point Cafe general manager Debbie Morris expects her business will lose customers. “With the exit from the North Shore closed, that tells all our North Shore custoiners that they can’t come and they’re going to have to go all the way around and come up to Prospect Point,” said Morris, a West Vancouver resident. Traffic inside the park has increased this spring after a two-way traffic trial to the Ferguson Point Teahouse restaurant . Restaurant owner Brent Davies paid $50,000 to have traffic re-routed. Parks board staff monitored traffic on the last weckend of March and the first weekend of April. As many as 900 cars per hour entered the park via the causeway exit. When it was closed from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the last two weekends of April, traf- fic inside the park was reduced. On April 25, an average 350 to 450 cars an hour were counted. When the exit reopened, hourly numbers climbed to 650. Marris said she would’ve appeared at Monday’s parks board meeting to oppose the measure. But she didn’t know it was on the agenda unl Monday afternoon. Sce Board page & ov't tries to lower cost Fram page learned thar the government is working with — the American Bridge-Surespan consertium to bring the price down. “And from what my most recent hearings from people — and it’s not from people at American Bridge but indi reetly -— is that they aren't really able to move the price down nearly as far as the governmence would like them to do, and still do the job that has te be done,” Symons said. “Basically there isn’t any major aspect (of the job) you can remove, The only one I'd heard of that would give them cnough leeway to get the price down would be to not do the seismic upgrading on the viaduct portion — on the North Shore part.” “To do that would be ludicrous,” he said, adding the ministry is in a bit of a bind. Lions Gate Bridge project communications person John Doyle said he was familiar with Symons? infor- mation but refuted it as neresy. “He's speculating on what may or may not hap- xen,” Doyle said. “We do fave a preferred proponent. We are working with them ... to finalize a contract.” Doyle said he could nor give out proposed price details for the work citing on-going contract negotia- tions. However another person trom the same office said he expects the work to. start soon.. “We're hoping to have a contract signed cither some time this week or hopefully by the end of next week,” said fellow project spokesman Ian Druce. Meanwhile, the province is negotiating closure times for bridge work to maintain a delicate balance between costs and public pressure to keep the closures at a mini- mum. “We've had quite a bit of pressure from some of the North Shore business groups, particularly the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce ...” said Druce. “They’ve been pressuring us uite heavily to try to reduce the number of closures.” He said North Shore business groups want the number of closures reduced or the length of each closure reduced. : Druce said current plans are to close the span from 8 p.m. to 6 am. for 150 nights. The bridge would also be closed for at least four week- ends during the construction period. “As part of the RFP process, no matter what technique they use to replace bridge sections, they have to have a temporary ramp,” Druce said. “They’d have a pretty good idea at two or three in the morning if they’re not going to get fin- ished or not.”