Port Mann Bridge

The Port Mann Bridge is a steel-tied arch bridge that spans the Fraser River connecting Coquitlam to Surrey  near Vancouver. The bridge consists of three spans with an orthotropic deck carrying five lanes of Trans Canada Highway traffic, with approach spans of three steel plate girders and concrete deck. The total length of the Port Mann is 2,093 m (6,867 ft), including approach spans. The main span is: 366 m (1,201 ft) plus the two 110 m (360 ft) spans on either side. Current volume on the bridge is 127,000 trips per day. Approximately eight percent of the traffic on the Port Mann bridge is truck traffic. The bridge is the longest arch bridge in Canada and 15th longest in the world.  Thanks to Wikipedia for this information and photo.

Aerial View

A Close Up of one end of one of the Spans

Beginning Saturday, Dec 1st, all lanes of the Port Mann will be open. It is a toll bridge and the fee is $3.00 each way.  However, as an introductory offer, there is a decal that you can have, once registered that will give twenty free trips until May 31st and thereafter, the cost will be $1.50 each way.  For Kendra, as she lives in Vancouver and works in Abbotsford, she will need to buy a monthly pass for $75.00 per month.  Fraser Valley residents are effectively ``cut off `from the city of Vancouver if they need to cross the Fraser R, or risk the heavy traffic in Langley and New Westminster. Cost??????   $3.3 billion Yikes!
Update:  This is the bridge that cost motorists millions in repairs after the "ice-bomb" incident.  Chunks of ice ffell from the bridge, damaging roofs and windshields of cars.  200 reported claims!  The engineers have some work to do!!!!!

Upholstry Know-how

Three brave souls (Bill, Kendra and I) took on the challenge of upholstering a headboard...that's right, a headboard.  Kendra has wanted to have a headboard for her bed for about two years, but as is the usual case, it has been put off until "Dad is here to help"!

Drying Out!

Cutting a Template

A couple of weeks ago, after the headboard discussion had been mentioned again, what should appear in the alley way behind Kendra's apartment, but a lovely wooden headboard that had been left in the rain.  After some checking and Kendra's approval, we hauled it up to K's apartment for it to dry and then to take another look for its suitability.

A week later, the three of us spent some time searching for fabric, decided on a beautiful tapestry with a blue satin thread, and then we went to work.  A base of thin wood, topped by 2 inches of foam trimmed to fit and then covered with the tapestry....oh and duct tape and some muscle got into the picture as well.  Not sure we knew what we were doing, and reminiscing that Grandad had upholstered a few pieces, it has been a fun project!

The Centre in Place

Headboard attached

Cultus Lake visit!

The village of  Cultus Lake is situated about 11 km southeast of Chilliwack BC which is about 80 miles east of Vancouver.   Cultus Lake became a Provincial Park in 1950 and has since become a huge tourist attraction as well as a thriving community.  Older cottages are becoming newer huge permanent homes on very small lots, with everyone desiring a lake view, so higher is better! The warm freshwater lake, surrounded by mountains,  has become a popular recreation destination with ample opportunities for fishing, water skiing, wind surfing, hiking and camping.
 
 

 A huge waterpark is a great waterslide attraction for the kids who camp and cottage here, the largest and most popular in British Columbia.  It boasts 8 slides that have developed over the years since 1988.

Our interest in Cultus Lake was to investigate the Cultus Lake campground, part of the Northeast Zone of the Thousand Trails membership, we have been thinking of joining. It is the only one in Canada with the rest in the zone being in Washington and Oregon and is located about 8 km from the townsite.  

We took a drive along a narrow street on the north side of the lake, too,  where the cottages/homes are built on a very steep slope so that occupants have a view of the lake....but oh, the steps!!!!!

 
It was a nice quiet trip, but I know that it would be very much alive with activity were the day warmer and in summertime!