The fascinating history behind one of Calgary’s oldest bridges
If you’ve ever travelled from north Calgary into downtown, chances are you’ve crossed the Centre Street Bridge, which has quite an incredible history.
According to the Alberta Register of Historic Places, the bridge was built between 1915 and 1916 and was constructed to replace an earlier crossing over the Bow River. It was designed by John F. Greene, who later designed the city’s Mission and Hillhurst bridges.
Greene designed many bridges across Canada and the U.S., but the Centre Street Bridge was considered to be the finest of its kind in Western Canada, as well as the first concrete bridge in Calgary.
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It served as a major crossing and quickly became one of the key north-to-south transportation routes downtown. In its early years, it accommodated two streetcar lines, as well as space for vehicles and pedestrians.
Originally, the project faced years of debates and delays, including disagreements over design plans and funding concerns.
At one point, planning ideas even included a proposal which suggested a low-level bridge and a massive elevator that would lift vehicles up the north escarpment; however, it was ultimately rejected due to cost and feasibility concerns.
The bridge played a major role in shaping Calgary’s growth. By making it easier to cross the Bow River, it opened up the north side of the city for development, helping neighbourhoods like Crescent Heights, Renfrew, Tuxedo Park, Winston Heights, and Mount Pleasant grow into established communities.
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In the 1960s, concern had grown around the structural safety of the bridge, due to dirt slides along the Bow River and growing traffic volume. The mayor at the time, Rod Sykes, called for the bridge to be rebuilt and relocated further east.
Residents and merchants opposed the proposal, and instead, a major renovation was done in 1974, which caused the bridge to close for five months.
While the Centre Street Bridge was built for practicality, it was also architecturally significant and is known as one of the most elaborate and ornamental bridges to span the Bow River in Calgary.
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One of its most popular features is the Centre Street Lions, which sit on top of the kiosks located at each end of the bridge. They were created by local artisan James L. Thomson and were inspired by the lion statues at Trafalgar Square in London.
Apart from the lions, the bridge also pays tribute to Canada and its heritage through other carved symbols. These include a buffalo head representing Western Canada, a maple leaf for Canada, a rose for England, a shamrock for Ireland, and a thistle for Scotland.
It was protected as a Municipal Historic Resource in 1992, and today still serves as one of Calgary’s key river crossings.