A pair of cast concrete lions, designed by sculptor Charles Marega, were placed on either side of the south approach to the bridge in January 1939.

[4] In 1890, land speculator George Grant Mackay wrote in the local paper that he foresaw a bridge over the first narrows.

They purchased 1,902 hectares (4,700 acres) of West Vancouver mountainside through a syndicate called British Pacific Properties Ltd.[9][10] On December 13, 1933, a second plebiscite was held, passing with 70 percent in favour.

[11][12] After considerable further negotiations with the federal government, approval was finally granted, with the requirement that Vancouver materials and workmen be used as much as possible to provide employment during the Great Depression.

The 1933 bylaw authorizing construction included a provision mandating that "no Asiatic person shall be employed in or upon any part of the undertaking or other works".

[16] On May 29, 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth presided over the official opening during a royal visit to Canada.

[21][22] On January 20, 1955, the Guinness family sold the bridge to the province of British Columbia for $5,873,837 – the cost of the original construction.

[31] In 1986, the Guinness family, as a gift to Vancouver, purchased decorative lights that make it a distinctive nighttime landmark.

[38] The new deck was designed with the two pedestrian walkways cantilevered to the outside of the suspension cables and the three road lanes widened from 3 to 3.6 metres (10 to 12 ft) each.

The switch to LEDs was expected to reduce power consumption on the bridge by 90 percent and save the provincial government about $30,000 a year in energy and maintenance costs.