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This iconic heritage landmark was the first all-Canadian built long-span suspension bridge, meaning it was designed by Canadian engineers, it was built by Canadian contractors, and it was made from Canadian materials. The bridge was an important source of employment for Canadians during the Great Depression. The bridge was designed by the firm of Monsarrat and Pratley of Montréal, Québec which was run by noted engineers Charles Nicholas Monsarrat and Philip Louis Pratley. This is the earliest of three large bridges that this company designed over several decades. The 1938 Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia and the 1955 Angus L. Macdonald Bridge in Halifax, Nova Scotia are later suspension bridges built by the same firm. As originally built, all three of these bridges had similar design details including pony truss stiffening, unusual paired suspender cables, and architectural details on the towers (although the later two bridges had an arched detail on the towers over the roadway). Of these three bridges, the Pont de l'Île-d'Orléans is the only one that has not had its historic integrity severely altered by the complete demolition and replacement of the stiffening truss with a stiffening girder. Thus, as both the oldest and least altered of these three masterpiece bridges by Monsarrat and Pratley, this bridge is clearly the most historically significant surviving example. The towers of the bridge rise 70.75 meters above the concrete piers. While the Dominion Bridge Company was the main contractor for this bridge, other firms played a role as well, such as the Eastern Canada Steel and Iron Works of Montréal which was a fabricator for some of the steel on the bridge. Despite its significance, this bridge is at a high risk for demolition and replacement with an ugly cable-stayed bridge.
Above: Shop fabrication of deck truss spans by Eastern Canada Steel and Iron Works of Montréal.
Above: Historical photo showing bridge construction.
Above: Historical photo showing bridge construction.
Above: Historical photo showing bridge construction.
Above: Historical photo showing bridge construction.
Above: Historical photo showing bridge construction.
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