1958 Second Narrows Bridge collapse
| File:Second Narrows Bridge (Vancouver).jpg Collapsed spans in August 1958 | |
| Date | 17 June 1958 |
|---|---|
| Time | 15:40 |
| Location | Burrard Inlet |
| Coordinates | 49°17′43″N 123°01′35″W / 49.295296°N 123.026276°WCoordinates: 49°17′43″N 123°01′35″W / 49.295296°N 123.026276°W Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Cause | Engineering failure |
| Deaths | 19 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 20 hospitalized |
| Inquiries | Royal Commission inquiry |
On 17 June 1958 at about 3:40 PM, the under-construction Second Narrows Bridge collapsed into the Burrard Inlet below, taking 79 workers down with it. 18 workers were killed and 20 others were hospitalized. A rescue diver also died two days later while searching for bodies. 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
The 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
- 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
- Jamieson, Eric (2008). Tragedy at Second Narrows (first ed.). Harbour Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55017-530-1. Search this book on
- 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.
- Second Narrows Bridge Collapse, Canadian Encyclopedia
- Images from The Vancouver Sun: Second Narrows Bridge Collapse, University of British Columbia School of Information
- "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.
- The Bridge, documentary by George Orr
- Obituary: Thomas BERGER
- Bailey, Ian (15 June 2018). "Documentary revisits 1958 collapse of Vancouver's Second Narrows Bridge". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- Royal commissions and commissions of inquiry under the Public Inquiries Act in British Columbia, 1943–1980
- 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.
- "VIDEO: Langley survivor of 1958 bridge collapse marks anniversary". Langley Advance Times. Black Press Media. 19 June 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
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