Ladder to nowhere erected over Vancouver street

The Last Word: Something eye-catching Mike McCardell has the last word on the attempt to elevate a Vancouver neighbourhood.

It's 126 feet tall, two feet wide and heads nowhere.

A massive ladder has been erected over a Vancouver street as a symbol of encouragement for those passing below.

Called 108 Steps, the galvanized steel sculpture stands tall over Kingsway near Nanaimo Street.

The piece constructed by Korean artist Khan Lee is meant to encourage viewers to "reach upward and beyond to achieve perceivably unattainable goals," according to developer Westbank, which paid for the project.

The artist has studied at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and is a founding member of the Vancouver-based artist collective known as "Intermission."

The 108-rung ladder is perhaps unintentionally reminiscent of a similar structure in New Westminster which was intended to lead somewhere.

Earlier this year, the city announced it would give $70,000 to whoever comes up with the best plan to spruce up a fire escape dubbed the "staircase to nowhere."

The structure was built after the city tore down a parkade on Front Street that included a fire escape for the neighbouring heritage building. A new set of steps was installed in 2017 at a cost of $200,000, but it took months for the city to actually connect it to the building, earning the staircase its nickname.