Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway Bridge

General Information

Type of Resource: Artifact
Common Name:
Address: N/A
Neighbourhood (Planning Area Name): City Centre
Construction Date: 1902
Designated: No

Statement of Significance

Description of Site

The Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway Bridge extends part way into the North Arm of the Fraser River, originally connecting Vancouver and Richmond’s Lulu Island. The bridge is characterized by its solid timber trestle structure.

Statement of Values

Constructed in 1902, the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway Bridge is valued for its association with the expansion of the British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) Interurban system throughout the Lower Mainland. The BCER created the Interurban tram system in 1897 when it extended its lines out of Vancouver to connect to the communities of Burnaby and New Westminster (eventually reaching Chilliwack in 1910). This bridge was originally owned and constructed by the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway Company (a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway), who capitalized on the need for transportation to and from the bustling fishing communities on Lulu Island. Two trips per day were run beginning in 1902. In 1905, the line was leased to the BCER, who electrified the track and began Interurban and freight service. The BCER benefitted greatly from the extension of its line to Steveston, affectionately known as the Sockeye Limited or the Sockeye Special, which became one of its most popular routes. The Bridge is additionally significant for its association with the Edwardian-era development of Richmond and the busy fishing community of Steveston. The structure and Interurban line encouraged development of the land between the municipality’s two most populous areas, Sea Island and Steveston. The Sockeye Special ran a regular, reliable route every thirty minutes during rush hour and every hour otherwise, up to nineteen hours a day. Freight trains were also run on the Interurban track, often using the same crews. Eventually, the successful train line boasted eighteen stations along its thirteen kilometre route. Prior to and during the early days of the Sockeye Special, Steveston’s population grew to up to 10,000 during fishing season. The Bridge’s role along the BCER line helped facilitate the growth of Steveston and Richmond through the booming Edwardian era and beyond. The Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway Bridge is also valued for its solid timber trestle construction. In August 1901, Ironside, Rannie & Campbell, general contractors from Vancouver, secured the contract to construct the Bridge, the completed structure was 546 metres long and made of solid timber. It featured four spans of twenty-four metres, one span of thirty metres, and one steel swing span of forty-six metres. The Bridge exists today as a good example of early Edwardian-era solid timber trestle bridge design.

Character Defining Elements

The elements that define the heritage character of the Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway Bridge include, but are not limited to its: • location in Richmond on Lulu Island and into the North Arm of the Fraser River toward Vancouver; and • solid timber construction, with steel and concrete elements.

History

No information available.

Architectural Significance

Building Type

Bridge

Name of Architect or Builder

Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway

Landscape Significance

No information available.

Integrity

Lost: No

Documentation

Evaluated By: Donald Luxton and Associates Inc.
Evaluation Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2020

“Contract For Bridge.” Vancouver Daily World, Aug. 13, 1901. Dawe, Alan. Richmond and its Bridges. Richmond, BC: City of Richmond Archives, 1996. “Delta Municipal Council.” Delta Times, Apr. 1, 1905. Ewert, Henry. “The British Columbia Electric Railway.” Canadian Rail 534 (Jan.-Feb. 2010) “First Train Tomorrow.” Vancouver Daily World, Jun. 30, 1902. “Going Ahead In Earnest.” Vancouver Daily World, Feb. 19, 1902. “Open For Traffic.” Vancouver Daily World, Jun. 27, 1902. “Tramcars May Come.” Vancouver Daily World, Jun. 28, 1902. “Vancouver & Lulu Island Railway.” Victoria Daily Colonist, Feb. 8, 1900. Waterworks Atlas. Corporation of the Township of Richmond, c.1936 (City of Richmond Archives, 1991- 40-43).