The park known for its suspension bridges is located in Greater Vancouver, writes vancouver-future. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is among the most famous of its kind. However, in essence, it is a standard suspension bridge. Its length is 140 metres, and its height is 70 metres.
More details about this bridge and its history are provided in our material, with references to structurae.net and capilano-suspension-bridge.
Frequent Ownership Changes
The bridge was constructed in 1889, with the project entrusted to George Grant Mackay, a Scottish civil engineer and Vancouver park commissioner.
Initially, the bridge consisted of special ropes and a deck made of cedar planks. In 1903, this structure was replaced with a wire cable bridge. At the time, the bridge was owned by Edward Mahon. Later, it was sold to McEachran. In 1935, local residents were invited to place totem poles in the park area, including decorations for the bridge.
In 1945, the bridge was sold again, with Henri Aubeneau becoming its new owner. In 1956, he initiated a complete reconstruction of the structure.
A New Wave of Popularity
In 1983, the park and the bridge were acquired by Nancy Stibbard. Since then, the site has garnered increasing interest from both tourists and locals.
Visitor numbers grew significantly, enabling the park to open Treetops Adventures in 2004, which included seven bridges, including the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
In June 2011, a new park attraction was introduced.
Accidents
As with many structures of this type, the Capilano Suspension Bridge has been associated with several accidents.
In September 1999, a woman accidentally dropped her 18-month-old child from the bridge. The child, who had Down syndrome, fortunately escaped serious injury. However, the mother lost custody of the child. She filed a lawsuit against the bridge’s owner, but the case was eventually closed.
Another incident occurred on June 6, 2010, when a teenager on a guided tour attempted to climb over the railing and fell from a height of 30 metres. By the time rescuers arrived, the teenager had already passed away. It was later revealed that the boy had a drug in his system similar to LSD at the time of the accident.
Creative Attention
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is not only popular among locals and tourists but also attracts the interest of filmmakers and musicians.
The bridge has appeared in numerous TV series, including MacGyver, Psych, Sliders, and more.
Musicians are also fond of the bridge. For instance, in June 2019, a video by the Korean pop group NCT 127 was released, featuring footage shot during the group’s visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
The Bridge and Scientific Research
In 1974, social psychologists Donald Dutton and Arthur Aron conducted a unique experiment. The study involved a woman approaching men who were crossing the bridge. The findings showed that men crossing the Capilano Suspension Bridge were more likely to contact the woman later compared to those who crossed other park bridges.
Dutton and Aron attributed this to the relative instability of the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Men crossing it experienced heightened tension, which, when combined with the interaction with the woman, was amplified into feelings of attraction. This experiment supports the two-factor theory of emotion.