| It has been many years since I visited the Capilano
Suspension Bridge. With 850,000 visitors a year it is one of
Vancouver's most popular attractions.
It was back in 1908 that a Scotsman, George MacKay purchased 6,000
acres on either side of the Capilano River. It was on the edge of the
canyon walls that he built a cabin. Mackay an engineer by trade, and two
natives suspended a hemp rope and planks across the Capilano River.
Back then it became known by the natives as the Laughing Bridge cause
of the noise it made when the wind blows through the canyon. Today, you can still hear
the bridge laugh on a windy day.
In 1910, Edward Mahon purchased the bridge. The story goes that he
fell in love with and married his teenage bride. He brought her and her
mother over from Vancouver Island. It is said he had bought the bridge
for his bride as a wedding present. He built a Tea House on the property in 1911 and imported
lavish oriental plants for his bride. His love for her is what made him
furnish his land with gardens of beauty that surrounded the Tea House he
built for her.
Then in 1935 the local natives were invited to place their totem
poles in the
park. Today those totem poles still stand.
It was not until 1953, when a Rai Mitchell purchased the bridge and strengthened the cables,
that it became a world wide attraction.
By 1983, business had quadrupled. Nancy Stibbard then bought the
bridge promoting it further more. Nancy still owns the bridge.
The
Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver's top ten attractions.
This year is the Bridge's 114th Anniversary where it brings in tourists
from around the world to see the beauty of the canyon and the wonder of
the laughing bridge. Editors Note: Dora Chartier
(alias Dangerous) is a web master, writer of some renown and a fellow BRAT.
You can visit her site at: http://www3.telus.net/dangerous/main.html |
