Pratley, Philip Louis National Historic Person

Montréal, Quebec
Opening of the Jacques Cartier Bridge (© Royal Canadian Air Force / Library and Archives Canada / PA-117723)
Opening of the Jacques Cartier Bridge
(© Royal Canadian Air Force / Library and Archives Canada / PA-117723)
Address : Parc des Faubourgs, North entrance to the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, Montréal, Quebec

Recognition Statute: Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date: 2005-08-03
Life Date: 1884 to 1958

Other Name(s):
  • Pratley, Philip Louis  (Designation Name)
Research Report Number: 2004-050, 2009-095

Importance: Canada's foremost designer of long-span highway bridges

Plaque(s)


No plaque in place, recommended location:  Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Existing plaque:  Parc des Faubourgs, North entrance to the Jacques Cartier Bridge, Montréal, Quebec

Canada's foremost designer of long-span highway bridges in the first half of the 20th century, P. L. Pratley created a number of exceptional works that have become Canadian landmarks. During his career as a consulting engineer in Montréal he used the latest design theories and structural materials to build elegant, state-of-the-art structures. Several of his outstanding bridges have become widely recognized as symbols of their cities, including the Lions Gate in Vancouver, the Jacques-Cartier in Montréal, and the Angus L. Macdonald in Halifax. His monumental projects link the highways of the nation from coast to coast.