29 October 2026Updated
When did the Lions Gate Bridge open? Why you’ll find four dates
The Lions Gate Bridge opened for public use on 12 November 1938, on foot. Cars followed two days later; the ceremony and the royal drive came in May 1939.
Museum
Stories
Sourced stories of the bridge, from the newspapers, films and archives of the time.
8 November 2026
Who made the Lions Gate Bridge lions? Charles Marega’s last big work, and the day he died
Charles Marega (1871–1939) made the Lions Gate Bridge lions in concrete, on a tight budget. They went up in January 1939; he died two months later.
6 November 2026Updated
How much did it cost to cross the Lions Gate Bridge? Tolls from 1938 to 1963
From November 1938 to 1 April 1963, a car and driver paid 25 cents on the Lions Gate Bridge. Walkers and car passengers paid 5 cents until August 1956.
5 November 2026
Who was the first person to cross the Lions Gate Bridge?
No one can be sure. On 12 November 1938 The Vancouver Sun named Mrs. Mary Sutton, 75, as first across, but said five others claimed it too.
4 November 2026
Who paid for the Lions Gate Bridge? The Guinness brothers and the mountainside behind it
Private British money led by three Guinness brothers paid for the Lions Gate Bridge, the road to their West Vancouver land. The province bought it in 1955.
2 November 2026Updated
How did the Lions Gate Bridge get built? The long road from idea to approval
The Lions Gate Bridge idea took shape from 1924 to 1936: West Vancouver land, British money, a 1933 Vancouver vote and Ottawa's approval on 30 April 1936.
1 November 2026
What was First Narrows like before the Lions Gate Bridge?
Before 1938, First Narrows could be crossed only by boat. Ferries ran between the cliff at Prospect Point and the Capilano River's shifting sandbanks.
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