A photographic survey of Toronto Bridges

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Toronto is not a city known for its bridges. Unlike New York or Pittsburgh (to use only two examples), our city's iconography doesn't seem to feature these structures particularly prominently. The exception, of course, is the Prince Edward Viaduct, which has certainly captured the public's imagination, thanks no doubt to its role in uniting the east and west sides of the city and its portrayal in Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion.

But aside from the Viaduct, Toronto's bridges are generally more subtle structures. Most aren't particularly long or high, many are downright anonymous, and some could be characterized as ugly (though I suppose the latter characteristic is true of every city's inventory). Nevertheless, if one cares to dwell upon the subject for a while, it's not difficult to come up with a photo-worthy list of Toronto bridges.

In fact, when I took to this very task last night, I was surprised at the sheer number I could recall off the top of my head. Not really hidden, many of Toronto's bridges are linked to the ravines that line the city, and so aren't always seen from their most dramatic angles. Similarly, railway overpasses may not always seem like much to look at, but they've played a crucial role in Toronto's growth. We've also lost a few over the years to buried creeks and other types of development. And while not always grand in a Brooklyn Bridge type of way, in numerous cases, our bridges are beautiful in their own right.

Spadina Bridge at Front Street 1927