T he most important natural feature in Calgary is the Bow River. That makes any bridge that crosses it the most important man-made feature. The original Centre Street Bridge was built in 1906 by A.J. McArthur. He needed the bridge in order to sell the land he owned on the other side, which eventually became known as Crescent Heights. Six years later in 1912 the city bought the bridge for CAN$1,300.00 and gave it some much-needed repairs. These could only be enjoyed for a short time because the Bow River flooded in 1915 wiping out the bridge. Two city officials and a pedestrian were on the Centre Street Bridge when it collapsed. Only the pedestrian was killed. The bridge you see today is the replacement that opened in 1916. Its most striking features are the four stone lions that guard its approaches. These lions were created by James Thompson, a city worker who was formerly a Scottish mason. They were designed to match the lions at the base of the Admiral Nelson monument at Trafalgar Square in London. But instead of being made of brass like their counterparts in England, the ones in Calgary are concrete. They rest on top of concrete kiosks each containing an image of the English rose, an Irish shamrock, the Scottish thistle, and of course the Canadian maple leaf. It is partly because of these beloved sentries that the bridge was named an "Historic Resource" in 1993.
