Canada is a land full of lakes, rivers, inlets and straits. That means bridges are a major part of the country's infrastructure and it has invested heavily in amazing structures that carry people, cars and trains over all those beautiful bodies of water. These 30 bridges represent some of the very best of Canadian engineering, ingenuity and architectural design.
Linking the city of Vancouver to North Vancouver, the sprawling Lions Gate Bridge has been a West Coast landmark since it opened in 1938. The road leading to the bridge cuts through leafy Stanley Park, a remarkably controversial route at the time of the bridge’s construction. The bridge is named after “the Lions,” a pair of nearby mountain peaks, and its south entrance also features two concrete lion sculptures by artist Charles Marega.
Before 1997, visitors to Prince Edward Island would have to take a plane or ferry to visit the province (which is, after all, an island). But the completion of the spectacularly long Confederation Bridge changed all of that. The eight-mile (13km) bridge is part of the Trans-Canada Highway, connecting PEI to New Brunswick over the Northumberland Strait. A marvel of modern engineering, the bridge took four years to complete and is the longest in the world to cross ice-covered water.
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There’s something unbelievably romantic about a wooden covered bridge and there are plenty to be seen in the province of New Brunswick. The longest in the world, at 1,282 feet (391m), can be found in the tiny town of Hartland. A National Historic Site, the Hartland Covered Bridge was originally completed in 1901, allowing travellers to cross the Saint John River between Hartland and Summerville. The current bridge was rebuilt in 1921 after a collapse, with a walkway installed in 1945.
A popular Vancouver tourist attraction, the Capilano Suspension Bridge gives visitors a chance to wander amid the canopy of a stunning west coast forest, just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver. The original footbridge on the property was a simple rope bridge used to cross the canyon above the Capilano River, but it’s since grown into a sturdy cabled bridge. The modern 450-foot (137m) long version still has a bit of a sway, which just adds to the fun of crossing it.
Toronto’s waterfront is quickly transforming into a sea of tall glass condo buildings, but the Humber Bay Arch Bridge stands as a reminder of a quainter time in the city’s architectural history. Built in 1994, the bridge is part of the Martin Goodman Trail, which tracks along a swathe of Toronto’s waterfront area. The bridge is much photographed, thanks to its distinctive white arches and the 44 steel hangers that hold the bridge deck in place over the mouth of the Humber River.
Also known as the Lethbridge Viaduct, this striking train bridge is tipped as the longest and highest trestle bridge in the world. Completed in 1909 by Canadian Pacific Railway, the bridge was built to bring rail cars into the area to transport coal from nearby mines. At 5,328-feet (1.6km) long and 314-feet (96m) high the bridge is a sight to behold as it takes trains across the Oldman River and Lethbridge’s trademark coulees.
The history of the Lang Grist Mill and its adjacent bridge date all the way back to 1846. The original building burnt down early in its history but was rebuilt and operated as a functioning flour mill until 1956. The bridge portion crosses over the mill’s small dam. Today the mill and its bridge are part of Lang Pioneer Village, a living history museum in Keene, Ontario, located near the city of Peterborough.
Another bridge that forms a piece of the Trans-Canada Highway, the Seal Island Bridge was completed in 1961, reducing the need for ferry service across the Great Bras d’Or channel in beautiful Cape Breton. The Bridge is immediately recognizable by its green steel arch, forming a hump in the middle of the two-lane bridge. While the original bridge was open to pedestrians, the walkways were removed when the bridge’s deck was refurbished in the early 2000s.
The unique natural wonders of Canada’s North are best experienced from a bird’s eye view, which is why the Yukon Suspension Bridge is such a popular attraction. Even though the bridge is technically located in the northern part of British Columbia, it is easily accessible from both Whitehorse, Yukon and Skagway, Alaska. The 200-foot (61m) long bridge hangs high above the Tutshi River, with its white rapids churning below. The site also features a museum and walking trails.
Technically a “bridge system” rather than a single bridge, portions of the Thousand Island Bridge sit in both the United States and Canada, passing over the St Lawrence River. The entire system covers 8.5 miles (14km) going over the Thousand Islands area, a region that comes by its name honestly, with more than 1,800 small islands scattered throughout.
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Not a single bridge, but a series of small single-lane bridges have long enchanted drivers travelling around the Alberta badlands near the town of Drumheller. These include the ferry bridge going across the Red Deer River near the ghost town of Dorothy and, most famously, the 11 bridges crossing the Rosebud River along the 4-mile (6km) stretch between the towns of Rosedale and Wayne. Part of the charm is keeping watch of oncoming traffic to make sure two cars don’t try to cross at the same time.
Taller than Niagara Falls, Montmorency Falls is a spectacular natural attraction located just outside of Québec City. While the view from the bottom of the falls is just fine, the real magic comes from crossing the suspension bridge that hangs over the top of the falls, which rush 272 feet (83m) to the ground below. The bridge is accessible by cable car and is typically open year-round, allowing visitors to experience the falls in their full roaring glory or in an eerily beautiful frozen state.
One of three bridges to reach across Vancouver’s False Creek, the Burrard Street Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge in Vancouver. Completed in 1932, the urban bridge is much loved for its signature Art Deco details, designed to dress up the bridge’s steel construction. In addition to helping Vancouverites get from downtown to South Vancouver, the bridge serves as a memorial to local soldiers who served in the First World War.
The current Walterdale Bridge in Edmonton replaced an existing bridge of the same name in 2017. Whereas the former bridge was a fairly unexciting steel truss design that was over 100 years old, the new Walterdale is a much more modern looking arch bridge. The 184-foot (56m) white arches cut a striking image spanning across the North Saskatchewan River with three lanes of traffic and enhanced crossings for cyclists and pedestrians.
One of Winnipeg’s architectural highlights, the Esplanade Riel is a footbridge located just north of the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, connecting the city’s French Quarter with the popular Forks area. Named after politician Louis Riel, the dramatic bridge consists of an impressive 187-foot (57m) tower with cables splaying from the top. A round pavilion fitted with a commercial space sits at the base of the tower.
With the South Saskatchewan River cutting right through the middle of the city, Saskatoon has more than its fair share of bridges, earning the nickname “City of Bridges.” There are eight bridges in total, including the Broadway Bridge, a pretty arch bridge that was put up in 1932. It was conceived as a “make work” project during the Great Depression, employing 1,593 workers. It’s the steepest bridge in Saskatoon, with a 4% grade.
The only remaining covered bridge in the province of Ontario, the West Montrose Bridge recalls the days of horse-drawn buggies rambling down country roads. Completed in 1881, the bridge was originally a completely wooden construction, but has since been fortified with concrete and steel. But even with those restorations it still retains its original look and is known as a “kissing bridge” because of the privacy it offers those walking or riding through it.
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With all of those mountains and forests, the British Columbia coast is rich with pedestrian suspension bridges and one of the newest is the thrilling footbridge at the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort. The Cloudraker is a commercial tourist attraction – visitors must make a short hike before taking a chair lift up Whistler Mountain to find the bridge that stretches 427 feet (130m) between two rocky peaks. The bridge offers unparalleled views of the area.
Before the Deh Cho Bridge opened in 2012, the MacKenzie River in the Northwest Territories could only be crossed via a ferry in the summer months or an ice bridge in the winter. At a cost of CA$202 million (£118.3m; $158.5m), the building of the bridge is the most significant infrastructure project in the history of the territories. It also gives drivers spectacular views of the river and surrounding boreal forest, sitting a full 100 feet (30.5m) above the water.
Halifax Harbour has two bridges: the Angus L. Macdonald, which is usually referred to as the “old bridge”, and the A. Murray Mackay, known as the "new bridge". The MacKay Bridge was built in 1970 and was considered to be quite innovative, being the first bridge in North America with an orthotropic steel deck. Whereas the MadDonald Bridge has a weight limit for vehicles, the MacKay Bridge is open to large trucks and acts as an important commercial link between Halifax and Dartmouth.
One of several spectacular cable-stayed bridges in the Vancouver area, the Alex Fraser Bridge is a major commuter thoroughfare in Delta, BC, crossing the south arm of the Fraser River. When the bridge opened in 1986 it was the longest of its kind, measuring in at 8,284 feet (2,525m) with towers reaching 505 feet (154m) into the sky. While the bridge is extraordinary to look at, it’s also very important to locals coming and going, with seven busy lanes of traffic.
Canada’s national capital is in Ottawa, Ontario, but the city is closely connected with Gatineau, Quebec, located directly across the Ottawa River. The two cities (and provinces) are linked by the Alexandra Bridge, a steel truss cantilever construct near Canada’s National Gallery. The bridge, built by Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1900 and originally used for the railway, but is now designated for car traffic as well as cyclists and pedestrians.
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Currently held up as the longest clear-span cantilever bridge in the world, the Québec Bridge spans the St Lawrence River from Québec City to Levis, with a whopping 1,640-foot (500m) length between the two main pillars. Having first opened in 1917, it has lanes for car, rail and pedestrian traffic, and it’s also the first bridge in North America to utilise nickel steel construction. As part of a dramatic scene on the great St Lawrence, the Québec Bridge stands right next to the also formidable Pierre-Laporte Bridge.
Replacing an older bridge that was destroyed by a flood, Calgary’s Centre Street Bridge was completed in 1916. It’s easily recognisable because of concrete lions that “guard” the bridge, though the current lions are replicas of the originals, which were found to be in rough shape when the bridge underwent a reconstruction in 2001. There are two levels, with the main bridge connecting Chinatown with Crescent Heights and the lower deck popping out at the bottom of the McHugh Bluff.
This distinctive truss arch bridge sits near Fredericton, technically connecting the communities of Maugerville and Burton. Built in 1972, it replaced a ferry service and feeds into a former portion of the Trans-Canada Highway. The Burton crosses the Saint John River, a winding body of water that travels from the American state of Maine through New Brunswick and into the Bay of Fundy.
A replacement for the old Champlain Bridge crossing the St. Lawrence River in Montreal, the Samuel de Champlain is an extraordinary new structure that was just opened in 2019. One of the largest infrastructure projects in North American history, the cable-stayed bridge has room for a light-rail train line, space for foot and bicycle traffic, and eight lanes or automobiles, including dedicated bus lanes.
Heralded as the busiest international border crossing in North America, the Ambassador Bridge takes travellers across the Detroit River from the city of Detroit into Windsor, Ontario. It’s not only a key crossing for visitors, though, it's vital for commercial trade, with CA$323 million (£188.9; $253.7) worth of goods travelling across it every day. The bridge itself is an incredible feat of engineering, at 7,500 feet (2,286m) in length.
An iconic part of the Montreal skyline, the breathtaking Jacques Cartier Bridge connects the island of Montreal with the city of Longueuil, Quebec. As practical as it is beautiful, the steel truss cantilever bridge is a major part of many Montrealers’ daily commute. It’s also billed as the world’s first “connected” bridge; in 2017 it was fitted with state-of-the-art LED lights that illuminate to create choreographed nighttime light shows.