Before the Lagoon Was Lost

Before the Lagoon Was Lost. . The local Coast Salish people gathered clams and mussels along these shores when this lagoon was a saltwater inlet of Coal Harbour. , [caption] Lost Lagoon got its name in the earl 1900s from Canadian poet Pauline Johnson, who presented the name in a poem to describe how the lagoon seemed to disappear at low tide. This photo shows the lagoon and Coal Harbour around 1914. , ONCE SHAPED BY FLOWING TIDES , When linked to Coal Harbour, this lagoon became a muddy intertidal basin at low tide, exposing shellfish that the Coast Salish then harvested. At a small village on the opposite shore they would steam and string these tasty mollusks. The harbour and lagoon were also places for duck hunting and herring fishing, and provided shelter in rough weather. Past use by the Coast Salish is evidenced through the various shells, mammal bones and stone fragments they left behind. , THE SALTWATER LINK IS CUT OFF , No longer is Lost Lagoon a salty body of water with a link to the sea. In the early 1900s, a wooden bridge was built across Lost Lagoon to allow motorists to access Stanley Park from Georgia Street. The final parting occurred in 1916 when the causeway replaced the bridge. Over time, freshwater from Ceperley Creek replaced the lagoons salty state. Lost Lagoon provides habitat for aquatic animals and many bird species--from geese to river otters to great blue herons.