From 1913 to 1916, a lake was constructed in a shallow part of Coal Harbour, a project that was not without its detractors. The lake was named Lost Lagoon due to its history of ‘disappearing’ at low tide. The lake and a causeway into the park were designed by Thomas Mawson, who also designed a lighthouse for Brockton Point around the same time. Before the Causeway, a wooden footbridge provided the only access route into the park from Coal Harbour. Construction of the causeway (and new roads within the park for emergency access) was completed by 1926.
In 1923, the saltwater pipes entering the lake from Coal Harbour were shut off, turning it into a freshwater lake. A lit fountain was later erected to commemorate the city’s golden jubilee. The fountain, installed in 1936, was purchased from Chicago, a leftover from its world’s fair in 1934.
The causeway was widened and extended through the center of the park in the 1930s with the construction of the Lions Gate Bridge, which connects downtown to the North Shore. At the same time, two pedestrian subways were added under the Causeway at the entrance to the park from Georgia Street.
By the 1950s, visitors could take rented rowboats on Lost Lagoon, but boating and other activities were banned in 1973 as the lake became a bird sanctuary. By 1995, the old boathouse had been turned into the Lost Lagoon Nature House. It is operated by the Stanley Park Ecology Society, which is a non-profit organization that works alongside of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation to promote stewardship and conservation in Stanley Park.
Source From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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