The Lynn Canyon Bridge That Wasn't

A proposal to create a new driving route between Lynn Valley and Inter-River has been rejected by the District of North Vancouver council. Mayor Mike Little had proposed putting the idea of a Rice Lake connector bridge to voters in a non-binding referendum during the next municipal election. The bridge would have crossed Lynn Creek around Dempsey Road and Rice Lake Road.

It would have connected Lynn Valley with the Inter-River community and created another route for drivers dealing with congestion around the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing. But the proposal did not get support from the rest of the council. All six other council members rejected the referendum idea. For many residents who value Lynn Canyon and the surrounding green space, that decision may come as a relief.

At the same time, the traffic problem that led to the proposal has not gone away. Little brought the idea forward because of ongoing congestion on the North Shore. He pointed to the large number of daily trips over the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and said the District needs to continue looking at alternatives. “I just think that with 160,000 daily trips over the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, tens of thousands of people stuck in traffic every single day, we have to start looking at options,” Little said.

Eric Godot Andersen raised concerns about Lynn Canyon and the cost of building through difficult terrain. Katherine Fagerlund questioned whether one specific option should appear on an election ballot before more analysis had been completed. Those concerns helped frame the debate as more than a question about one bridge. For Lynn Valley residents, it was also a question about what should be protected when transportation pressure increases. Lynn Canyon is not simply an empty gap between two neighbourhoods.

It is one of the natural areas that helps shape the character of Lynn Valley. That made the idea of creating a new vehicle connection through the area difficult for many residents and councillors to support. Still, rejecting the bridge does not solve the larger transportation problem. Drivers travelling through Lynn Valley and toward the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge continue to deal with congestion. The District has already been working on other approaches, including efforts around the Keith Road and Main Street corridors and plans for bus rapid transit.