Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The stone statues at the Stanley Park entrance to the Lions Gate bridge have stood guard since the span opened 85 years ago.
They’ve been decorated for Christmas and were adorned with face masks during COVID. Now the stone lions are wearing giant blue and green Vancouver Canucks jerseys.
The day after the Canucks beat the Predators to take a one-game lead in the opening round of the playoffs, fans were happy to see the statues wearing the team colours.
“I like it because they are very solemn, they’ve been around all the time, and now they’re participating. I think it’s charming,” said one man, who peered at the statues from the Stanley Park causeway overpass.
Mystery surrounds the jerseys, which appear to be custom-made and are attached with heavy wire.
One passerby theorized the Canucks marketing department was behind the jerseys, and another suggested they could be the work of UBC engineers.
“They were probably put up in the middle of the night so nobody can see them,” said another woman. “It’s a mystery, nobody knows, I think that’s the exciting part of it all.”
It’s not the first time the lions have been adorned with Canucks jerseys. When they appeared on the stone statues during the Stanley Cup final run in 2011, a trio of thieves stole them. Police recovered and returned them days later.
“We have seen this in the past, whether it’s the Canucks or the Lions or other significant social events, various landmarks around the city often get dressed up accordingly,” said Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison, who hopes no one takes them during this playoff run.
“It’s part of the fun fan-friendly experience that kind of makes this time of year really cool.”
The police don’t know who made the jerseys and put them on the statues, and neither does B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation, which oversees the Lions Gate bridge.
While there is some concern the jersey-clad statues could be a distraction for drivers, the ministry said in an emailed statement it “recognizes the excitement in the city for Vancouver Canucks playoff hockey and will leave them in place for the time being.”
Fans hope the jerseys can stay as long as the Canucks are in the playoffs, and that they’re only removed when the teams hoists the Stanley Cup.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.