The Prince Edward ViaductA bridge between fiction and reality

The Photographer

Most of the following pictures and many of the available pictures of the Prince Edward Viaduct were taken by Arthur Goss, the first official photographer for the city of Toronto.

He was photographer for Torontofrom 1911 to 1940 during which hetook over 35,000 photos.

Designing and planning a viaduct in Toronto took time and patience, as the bridge was unpopular at first and later would cost far more than

originally predicted.

Design

Concepts and Designs

- A viaduct is a type of bridge composed of several spans of platform, creating arches when connected.

Surrounding Areas

Breaking Ground

Construction on the Viaduct began in January 1915

Construction BeginsFrom beginning to end the Bloor Street Viaduct (Later Prince Edward Viaduct)

Took 3 years to complete construction. (1915-1918)

The WorkersThese pictures show the various men at work, clearly of a lower class and

most likely immigrants as in In the Skin of a Lion.

Progress

CompletionThe Prince Edward Viaduct was opened in October 1918, after three years of construction.

TodayIn 1981, the bridge wasdedicated to architectEdmund Burke, and construction engineerThomas Taylor. No mentionof Commissioner R. C. Harriswho was able to get the bridgeapproved in the first place.

Up to 2003, the viaduct wastragically notorious for havingthe second largest number ofsuicides off a standing structurein the world due to its low railing. In 2003, a protective barrier was added to the bridge called the “Luminous Veil.”