Capilano Suspension Bridge, In 1888, George Grant Mackay, a Scottish civil engineer and land developer, arrived in the young city of Vancouver in Canada. Mackay purchased 6,000 acres of dense forest on either side of Capilano River and built a cabin on the very edge of the canyon wall. Assisted by two local natives and a team of horses, Mackay suspended a hemp rope and cedar plank bridge across the river. Natives called it the "laughing bridge" because of the noise it made when wind blew through the canyon. After his death, in 1903 E. Mahon took over the bridge,he replaced the hemp rope bridge by a wire cable. In 1935 "Mac" MacEachran purchased the bridge and invited local First Nations to place their totem poles in the park, adding a First Nations theme. In 1945, he sold the bridge to Henri Aubeneau. In 1953 Rae Mitchell purchased the bridge property from Henri Aubeneau. In 1983, Nancy Stibbard believed she could turn Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park around and now owns and operates the hugely successful business. Her goal, to elevate the park from a mere stop-off to a destination attraction, was realized in less than ten years. And today it has become a landmark that every visitor to Vancouver keep in their memories! Return