Vancouver History Tidbits: Duke of Connaught’s Visit

Tomorrow will mark 100 years since Canada’s Governor General, the Duke of Connaught, visited Vancouver with the Duchess to officiate the naming ceremony of the Connaught Bridge.

(Left) 1923 – Archives# CVA 371-283. (Right) 1940 – VPL Accession Number: 7978.

The Connaught Bridge replaced a bridge in the same location that was built in 1891. The name Connaught didn’t catch on and it became commonly known as the Cambie Bridge. It was once again replaced in 1985 by the structure we use today.

September 18, 1912. Archives #Arch N6.02

September 18, 1912. Archives #Duke of Conn P7

During their royal visit, the Duke also officially opened the provincial courthouse (now the Vancouver Art Gallery Building) and the first Lumbermen’s Arch was erected above Hamilton and Pender. After the visit, the arch was disassembled and moved to Stanley Park. The arch is still in place today but was re-modeled in 1952 to the simple version we see today.

Information from this post was researched thanks to Chuck Davis’ Vancouver History.