.jpg) Collapsed spans in August 1958 | |
| Date | 17 June 1958 |
|---|---|
| Time | 15:40 (PST) |
| Location | Burrard Inlet |
| Coordinates | 49°17′43″N 123°01′35″W / 49.295296°N 123.026276°W |
| Cause | Engineering failure |
| Deaths | 19 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 20 hospitalized |
| Inquiries | Royal Commission inquiry |
The 1958 Second Narrows Bridge collapse occurred on 17 June 1958 at about 15:40 (PST) while the bridge was under construction. 18 workers died in the collapse and 20 others were hospitalized. A rescue diver died while searching for bodies in the Burrard Inlet two days later. Five more workers died in other mishaps during the bridge's construction. The bridge was officially renamed the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing on 17 June 1994.
Inquiry
editThe Commissioner was asked to inquire into the circumstances of the collapse on June 17, 1958 of the Second Narrows Bridge, which was being constructed across Burrard Inlet under contract with the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority. The Commissioner concluded that the collapse was due to a design failure in the temporary structures and recommended "that erection contractors submit to engineers full particulars of the erection procedures and details of design of the temporary works which the contractor proposes to adopt . . . " (p. 11).
See also
edit- Sherwood Lett – Commissioner of the Royal Commission, Second Narrows Bridge Inquiry
- Thomas R. Berger – lawyer who defended the Ironworkers union after the collapse in the union members' refusal to return to work until the bridge was safe.
Sources
edit- Jamieson, Eric (2008). Tragedy at Second Narrows (first ed.). Harbour Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55017-530-1.
- Bridge crash in Vancouver (Videotape). Vancouver, Canada. 1958. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- Rasky, Frank, Great Canadian Disasters, Longman, 1961. (chapter 10)
- Mickleburgh, Rod, On the Line: A History of the British Columbia Labour Movement, Harbour Publishing Company Limited, 2018.
- Geddes, Gary. Falsework, Canada, Goose Lane Editions, 2007.
- Bains, Camille (17 June 2020). "Last living survivor of Second Narrows Bridge disaster won't let pandemic stop him from honouring dead". CBC News. CBC/Radio-Canada. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- "Survivor of Second Narrows Bridge collapse dies of cancer". CTV News. Bell Media. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- Prystupa, Mychaylo (17 June 2018). "Killed ironworkers remembered 60 years later". CTV News. Bell Media. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- Colpitts, Heather (22 June 2024). "Last surviving ironworker of B.C.'s Second Narrows Bridge collapse attends 66th memorial". Coast Mountain News. Black Press Media. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- Mackie, John (5 April 2024). "This Week in History, 1930: The first Second Narrows Bridge was a disaster magnet for ships". Vancouver Sun. Postmedia. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- Laba, Nick (17 June 2024). "Second Narrows Bridge survivor evades collapse with fluke scuba outing 66 years ago". vancouverisawesome.com. Glacier Media Group. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- "B.C. trades mark 65th anniversary of Second Narrows Bridge collapse". Journal of Commerce. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- Bailey, Ian (15 June 2018). "Documentary revisits 1958 collapse of Vancouver's Second Narrows Bridge". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- Deachman, Bruce (5 August 2016). "The five worst bridge collapses in Canadian history". Ottawa Citizen. Postmedia. Retrieved 21 September 2024.
It was determined that a temporary arm holding on of the spans was too light to bear the span's weight.
