B.C. government plans suicide barriers for Ironworkers Memorial Bridge
Wayne Leidenfrost/PNG
Photograph by: Wayne Leidenfrost , Vancouver Sun
The
B.C. government plans to construct barriers and fencing on the
Ironworkers Memorial Bridge by next summer in hopes of preventing
suicide attempts on the crossing.
The move, which comes four years after the B.C. Coroner’s Service recommended barriers on five Metro Vancouver bridges, is in the design stage and will cost more than $10 million, said Douglas Drummond, assistant regional director, South Coast Region of the Ministry of Transportation.
He said the measure would complement six emergency phones installed on the bridge this week, all of which he hoped would “focus on intervention.” There are also six phones on the Lions Gate Bridge — two at either end and two in the middle — that have been in place since 2009.
Drummond said having the phones on the bridges will allow people to connect with a crisis centre in their time of need, while the barriers should stop them from climbing over the railing.
“In a lot of studies we’ve done, human connection is a huge part of this strategy,” he said.
Barriers aren’t being considered at this time for the Lions Gate because it’s a suspension bridge and is susceptible to weight and wind loading, Drummond added. The new Port Mann Bridge, he said, will have emergency phone boxes as well as the capacity to add railings if needed.
Ian Ross, executive director of the Crisis Centre in Vancouver, said the province’s decision to put barriers on the Ironworkers is a good step, even though it has been a long time coming.
“A lot of times jumping from a bridge is an impulsive act. If we can stop them once, nine out of 10 times we will save a life,” he said. “There’s very good evidence [showing] restricting the means of how a person can kill themselves saves lives.”
But, he noted: “You’re not going to save everybody.”
There have been 15 jumpers off Vancouver’s Granville Street Bridge during the past five years and five on the Burrard Street Bridge.
The Golden Ears Bridge, which is owned by TransLink, was built with higher barriers, while the Pattullo is slated for a rebuild that will also see the higher railings, spokesman Drew Snider said.
The railings on the Golden Ears Bridge run about five feet higher than the hand rail, and include vertical bars spaced 6.5 centimetres apart.
Ross said the Crisis Centre would like to see emergency phones added to all Lower Mainlands bridges. There are 500 suicide deaths in B.C each year.
ksinoski@vancouversun.com
The move, which comes four years after the B.C. Coroner’s Service recommended barriers on five Metro Vancouver bridges, is in the design stage and will cost more than $10 million, said Douglas Drummond, assistant regional director, South Coast Region of the Ministry of Transportation.
He said the measure would complement six emergency phones installed on the bridge this week, all of which he hoped would “focus on intervention.” There are also six phones on the Lions Gate Bridge — two at either end and two in the middle — that have been in place since 2009.
Drummond said having the phones on the bridges will allow people to connect with a crisis centre in their time of need, while the barriers should stop them from climbing over the railing.
“In a lot of studies we’ve done, human connection is a huge part of this strategy,” he said.
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In
the past five years, 88 people have killed themselves by jumping off
Metro Vancouver Bridges, according to statistics from the BC Coroner’s
Service. Of those, 26 jumped from the Lions Gate Bridge and five from
the Ironworkers Memorial.Barriers aren’t being considered at this time for the Lions Gate because it’s a suspension bridge and is susceptible to weight and wind loading, Drummond added. The new Port Mann Bridge, he said, will have emergency phone boxes as well as the capacity to add railings if needed.
Ian Ross, executive director of the Crisis Centre in Vancouver, said the province’s decision to put barriers on the Ironworkers is a good step, even though it has been a long time coming.
“A lot of times jumping from a bridge is an impulsive act. If we can stop them once, nine out of 10 times we will save a life,” he said. “There’s very good evidence [showing] restricting the means of how a person can kill themselves saves lives.”
But, he noted: “You’re not going to save everybody.”
There have been 15 jumpers off Vancouver’s Granville Street Bridge during the past five years and five on the Burrard Street Bridge.
The Golden Ears Bridge, which is owned by TransLink, was built with higher barriers, while the Pattullo is slated for a rebuild that will also see the higher railings, spokesman Drew Snider said.
The railings on the Golden Ears Bridge run about five feet higher than the hand rail, and include vertical bars spaced 6.5 centimetres apart.
Ross said the Crisis Centre would like to see emergency phones added to all Lower Mainlands bridges. There are 500 suicide deaths in B.C each year.
ksinoski@vancouversun.com
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