You Want a Lift?
June Six Word Photo Story Challenge — Power of One
Surviving the power of urban gentrification.
The structure is massive. You can sense the weight of the steel. Painted bright yellow and standing tall in the air — it is hard to miss. The operator’s cabin is as large as a modern downtown condominium. It is a central feature of The Shipyards on the banks of Burrard Inlet across from Vancouver Harbour.
The big yellow crane had a sister — the Colby Crane — which was scrapped when the site began its gentrification process. The yellow crane now stands alone. A testament to the power of one.
The Shipyards is the original shipbuilding area of North Vancouver. The operation — originally named The Wallace Shipyard — opened in 1906 and grew into one of the most impressive industrial operations in western Canada.
The Shipyard’s productivity peaked during World War II. During the war, it produced 109 of the 312 “Victory Ships” produced in Canada.
The Shipyards closed in the early 1990s after building over 450 ships. A rather small part of the operation remains — just east of the original location.
In April 2016, the City of North Vancouver announced a partnership with a private company for the purpose of…
