Miniature Lions Gate Bridge Lion Sculptures Roar in Burnaby Showroom
A Burnaby company is bringing a piece of Vancouver's iconic heritage directly to collectors' homes and gardens. Ital Decor, a family-run business operating for decades, has crafted miniature replicas of the famous lion statues that guard the southern entrance to the Lions Gate Bridge.
Decades of Crafting City Icons
Roberto Tinucci, who operates Ital Decor alongside his brother Mario, explains that the company began producing these distinctive lion sculptures over twenty-five years ago. The original commission came from the City of Vancouver, which sought meaningful retirement gifts for long-serving employees. While the Tinucci family wasn't involved with the 1939 creation of the actual bridge lions, they've perfected the art of creating faithful smaller-scale versions.
"We basically sculpted a replica, but on a smaller scale," Tinucci notes, describing how the company captured the essence of Vancouver's most recognizable bridge adornments.
Substantial Collectibles with Heritage Weight
These aren't delicate trinkets. The miniature lions measure 36 centimetres high by 64 centimetres long (approximately 14 by 25 inches) and weigh a substantial 25 kilograms (55 pounds). Available in white, black, or natural concrete finishes, each sculpture carries both physical and historical heft.
Priced at $220, these collectibles offer Vancouverites and visitors alike an opportunity to own a tangible piece of the city's architectural legacy. Three such lions were prominently displayed in Ital Decor's yard at 6886 East Hastings Street during a recent visit, showcasing their craftsmanship to the thousands of daily commuters who pass the location.
Preserving Vancouver's Architectural Heritage
While the lion replicas represent just one aspect of Ital Decor's extensive portfolio, they symbolize the company's broader mission of preserving Vancouver's architectural history. The Tinucci family, founded by Joe Tinucci after his 1956 immigration to Canada, has worked on countless heritage projects throughout the region.
One notable example involves the art deco nurses that once adorned the Georgia Medical-Dental Building, demolished in 1989. Ital Decor created molds directly from the original terra cotta sculptures while they were still attached to the building's upper floors—a process that involved working on cantilever scaffolding at considerable heights.
"We were basically working on the ninth or 10th floor, and one day the elevator shut down on us, dropped down two floors," Tinucci recalls of the challenging project. "It scared the crap out of all of us. And for the rest of that job, we were taking the stairs up and down."
A Sculpture Garden of Vancouver History
Today, a replica of those distinctive nurses stands among more than 1,000 sculptures displayed at Ital Decor's Burnaby location. Created from fiberglass in sections to manage their substantial size (reaching 12 feet or 3.6 metres high with weights around 227 kilograms or 500 pounds), these pieces demonstrate the company's versatility across materials and scales.
The nurses now grace Cathedral Place, the tower that replaced the original Georgia Medical-Dental Building, while another remains in Ital Decor's collection—a testament to the company's role in maintaining visual continuity amid Vancouver's changing skyline.
For those seeking connection to Vancouver's architectural past, Ital Decor's miniature Lions Gate Bridge lions offer more than decorative appeal. They represent decades of craftsmanship dedicated to preserving the visual symbols that define the city's identity, making heritage both accessible and displayable in personal spaces throughout the region.
