ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Juanita Mercer
The Telegram
At the regular meeting of St. John’s city council on Monday, councillors voted unanimously to designate the cantilever pedestrian bridge in Bowring Park as a heritage structure.
Located at 100 Bowring Park Rd., the bridge has a storied history, with several notable people involved in its construction in 1958-59.
It was designed by the Montreal architectural firm Van Ginkel Associates, and the structural engineering consultant was Sir Ove Arup.
A couple, Sandy van Ginkel and Blanche Lemco Van Ginkel, are well-known for planning Expo ’67 and spearheading the preservation of Old Montreal, but were also commissioned by the City of St. John’s in 1958 to work on a new development plan for Bowring Park.
Part of their plan involved the cantilever bridge, for which they brought in Arup as the structural engineering consultant. Arup is famous for numerous works. He was the design engineer behind the Sydney Opera House, and designed the Mulberry temporary harbours to offload cargo on the beaches during the D-Day landings in the Second World War.
In November, the city’s built heritage experts panel (BHEP) recommended heritage designation of the bridge.
“Given the international recognition of Sir Ove Arup, who has received such honour as British knighthood, as well as the historic value of the structure, the panel strongly recommends that council proceed with the designation of Cantilever Bridge at Bowring Park with a further recommendation that a story board be constructed that will articulate its heritage significance,” reads the recommendation from the BHEP.
At a subsequent BHEP meeting, the panel also asked that the city recognize van Ginkel Associates in the statement of significance for their contributions to developing the bridge.
Now that council has approved municipal heritage designation, it is directing city staff to apply for provincial heritage designation and to seek the advice of a qualified restoration professional prior to proceeding with needed repairs on the bridge.
“We wanted to make sure that it was understood that this was a significant piece of heritage for the city, and for the province,” Mayor Danny Breen told reporters after the meeting.
He said the designation will also allow the city to seek federal funding to assist with revitalization of the bridge.
In terms of restoration work, city documents say the handrail needs to be replaced, and there are some areas of concrete cracking and delamination.
@juanitamercer_
