City of Vancouver exploring safety improvements to Granville Bridge after reports of fallen debris
David McCann works on Granville Island and claims a piece of concrete fell from underneath the Granville Bridge, crashing down close to one of his buildings.
“I look at people walking by every day and I go, 'Are you going to be the one that finally gets hit?'” said the Creekhouse property manager.
Back in 2019, McCann also spoke to CTV News about rusted metal falling onto one of his properties.
In 2020, the city installed safety netting under the bridge, and staff believe there hasn’t been any debris that has fallen in the area since, including the piece of concrete.
"We inspected the debris netting, we inspected the structure of the bridge above this location, we considered the paths of travel the debris would have to take to get to this fallen location and we considered the size of the debris itself,” said Eric Mital, director of streets for the City of Vancouver.
“We rely on the expertise of our structure consultants and they tell us the material did not originate from the bridge."
Earlier this year, The Improv Centre was damaged due to objects being thrown off the bridge and crashing into its awning.
Whether it’s debris falling from under the bridge, or objects thrown over the bridge, those who work on Granville Island say more safety measures are needed to protect the millions of people who visit the attraction each year.
"It is a concern,” said Martin Vargas, owner of Alimentaria restaurant, which is located underneath the bridge.
“If they're doing something that protects, that might be very helpful, you know, for our patrons, our staff, for the people on the island."
A group including medical professionals and people who work on Granville Island have penned a letter to City Council calling for protective fencing.
"One of the advantages of the suicide-prevention fencing that we are hoping the city will improve (is that it) will also help mitigate that risk to visitors and the public,” said Lisa Ono, manager of public affairs for CMHC Granville Island.
Mital says fencing is on the table.
"Means prevention fencing on Granville Bridge would be a meaningful improvement and we are speaking with our partners at Granville Island, senior levels of government and we are exploring that as future improvement,” said Mital.
The motion for preventative fencing is set to be brought to council later this month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7019200.1724963313!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Road rage incident: Tesla driver knocked senior's teeth out, B.C. RCMP say
Authorities are asking for the public's help identifying a Tesla driver following a disturbing road rage incident that played out in North Vancouver, B.C., earlier this month.
Poilievre asks Singh to pull out of Trudeau confidence deal to prompt fall election
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is asking NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh to pull out of the deal he has with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to force an election this fall.
Some trees' leaves are changing colour already. Here's why that may be happening, according to a botany expert
If you’ve noticed trees in parts of Canada have been changing colours earlier than usual in recent years, you’re not alone, according to a botany expert who spoke with CTVNews.ca.
Victim, accused in corn maze killing previously deemed 'significant threat' to public: documents
The accused and the victim in a fatal stabbing at the Edmonton Corn Maze earlier this week had both previously been found not criminally responsible for violent crimes and confined to a psychiatric hospital, court documents show.
Crown recommends 9 years in prison for protesters at Coutts border blockade
A Crown prosecutor says two men convicted of mischief and weapons offences at the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., should spend nine years in prison.
Afghan women sing in protest to Taliban's voice ban
Afghan women around the globe are singing in solidarity to protest the Taliban's new rules that prohibit women's voices from being heard in public.
Woman found dead before police kill husband on I-95 bridge and discover boy's body in vehicle
A man being pursued in the killing of his wife in New Hampshire was shot by police and tumbled from the Interstate 95 bridge that connects the state to Maine, officials said Thursday. Their eight-year-old boy was found dead in the back seat of the father's vehicle afterward.
Whooping cough cases are on the rise. Doctors explain the symptoms
Pertussis, commonly known as the whooping cough or the 100-day cough is spreading across Canada at a concerning rate, according to public health officials.
U.S. army defends Arlington National Cemetery employee in Trump campaign incident
The U.S. army defended an Arlington National Cemetery employee who was pushed aside during a visit by former president Donald Trump, saying that she acted professionally and was being unfairly attacked.