Keys to History

There are questions as to who first hung a suspension bridge across the Capilano's First Canyon. Initial landowner/engineer George Grant Mackay (about 1826-93) seems to have constructed one of hemp rope and cedar planks with local Natives, perhaps as early as 1890. (Natives dubbed it "the laughing bridge" after the sound of the wind blowing through it.) The Province newspaper of April 20, 1903, however, contains the earliest authenticated record of a plan to build the Capilano Suspension Bridge. This wire-cable span, opened in 1903 or 1904, was an immediate success. Its various owners added a teahouse and gardens by 1911, and Native totem poles provided by Chief Mathias Joe (about 1885-1966) of the Capilano Reserve in the '30s. The bridge was completely rebuilt in 1956. Initially, it didn't lead anywhere, but in the '50s trails were developed on the west side and the teahouse became a gift shop. Today, the dramatic span remains a huge tourist attraction.