Topic · 1938–1963
Tolls and ownership
Published
Who bought the Lions Gate Bridge, and when did the tolls end?
The provincial government bought the company that owned the Lions Gate Bridge on 20 January 1955, and the province ended the tolls on 1 April 1963. When cars began crossing in November 1938, a car paid 25 cents and a weekly pass cost $1.25.
Stories on this topic
6 November 2026
How much did it cost to cross the Lions Gate Bridge? Tolls from 1938 to 1963
From November 1938 to 1 April 1963, a car and driver paid 25 cents on the Lions Gate Bridge. Walkers and car passengers paid 5 cents until August 1956.
The record
14 November 1938
The bridge opens to cars, and car tolls begin. A car pays 25 cents. A weekly pass costs $1.25.
20 January 1955
The provincial government buys the company that owns the bridge. The BC Toll Highways and Bridges Authority takes over, and the company’s records pass to the province. Some sources give 1952 or 1954 for the sale; the 1955 date rests on a 1955 newspaper report and BC Archives records.
1 April 1963
The province ends the tolls. The toll plaza at the north end is later removed.
Sources
- S150 Historic Places: Lions Gate Bridge · Julia Piper, Vancouver Sun, 2020
- S151 Vancouver Sun and Province clippings, 1952–1956 · The Vancouver Sun / The Province via Newspapers.com, 1952
- S134 British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority (article) · Wikipedia, 2026
- S038 Transportation and Highways library files GR-1146 (First Narrows Bridge Company records, 1907, 1933-1957) · BC Archives (Royal BC Museum), 1955
- S109 Lions Gate Bridge (article, wikitext as of 2026-10-23) · Wikipedia, 2026
- S152 'Bridge Traffic Goes Smoothly Because It's Free, Free, Free' (1963-04-01) · The Sun via Newspapers.com, 1963
- S058 Building a Vancouver Icon: The Lions Gate Bridge (online exhibit, 34 pages) · MONOVA: Museum & Archives of North Vancouver, n.d.
- S052 Lions Gate Bridge (West Vancouver heritage page) · District of West Vancouver, n.d.
- S221 Taylor Made (blog post on A.J.T. Taylor) · Anne-Marie Lawrence, North Shore Heritage Preservation Society, 2024