Picture the Georgia Viaduct. Its twinned concrete spans rise before you a testament to Vancouver’s ambitious past.
The Georgia Viaduct isn’t just a bridge. It’s a scar on the city’s landscape a symbol of both progress and protest. It stands where Hogan’s Alley once thrived a predominantly Black Canadian community erased to make way for this massive overpass. Imagine the lives uprooted the history bulldozed beneath the concrete.
The first Georgia Street Viaduct was built between 1913 and 1915. A much smaller affair it carried streetcars that never actually ran. Every other lamppost was removed to lighten the load a testament to the structure’s inherent weakness. This original viaduct was a far cry from its imposing successor.
The current structure opened in phases. The Georgia portion opened on June 28 1971. The Dunsmuir section followed on January 9 1972. The celebrations were overshadowed by protests. Mayor Tom Campbell’s limousine was even blocked from reaching the western end.
The viaduct was envisioned as part of a vast freeway system. This plan sparked huge opposition. Communities fought back the freeway expansion was ultimately scrapped but the viaduct remained.
In 2015 the viaduct played an unexpected role. It served as a filming location for the movie Deadpool. The viaduct closed for two weeks while cameras rolled.
Then came the vote. On October 27 2015 Vancouver City Council voted for demolition. The viaduct’s days are numbered. It stands now as a reminder of a city grappling with its past and planning for its future a future that may not include this massive overpass. A future where the land beneath it might reclaim its history and provide green space and housing. The Georgia Viaduct a monument to a controversial moment in Vancouver’s story.