Bay Street Bridge

Victoria's main environmental characteristic is its coastal location and an extension of the ocean called "The Gorge" is the most significant urban feature. The Gorge is a long inlet that snakes westward through Victoria and Esquimalt from its lower reaches where it is called the Inner Harbour. It is bridged in 5 places along its length. In past posts I have tended to focus on the famed Johnson Street Bridge because of the controversy surrounding its replacement as well as its historical importance. The "Blue Bridge" is also the first bridge to cross the Gorge as it moves inland. The next bridge, which marks the end of the "Upper Harbour", is that pictured above, the Bay Street Bridge. It is also called the Point Ellice Bridge because its eastern side is planted on (or very near) Point Ellice. Point Ellice House can be seen through the trees in the roughly the center of the above photo just to the left of the large, blue-gray Gravel Mart building. Aside from Point Ellice House (a splendid heritage showcase) the area is mostly industrial with ship yards, a large cement works, recycling facilities, print shops and other small industries.

As I noted in an earlier post, "The first bridge over the Gorge at this point collapsed on Victoria Day in 1896 when a streetcar bearing 120 holidaymakers attempted to cross. Fifty-five lives were lost." You can read the original 1896 newspaper article describing this tragedy by clicking HERE. The current bridge was built during the 1950's.