November 22, 2019
This week, Mississauga City Council unanimously passed a resolution strongly objecting to the proposed demolition of the existing Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) heritage bridge that spans the Credit River just east of Mississauga Road.
“This was designated by the Province of Ontario as heritage. With one quick stroke of a pen they are disregarding not only this heritage structure, but are also opening the door where all heritage structures are at risk across the Province of Ontario. If this is the first, what is next? Are any heritage buildings or structures safe” said Councillor Stephen Dasko.
“Council was informed by the Ministry of Transportation without notice or consultation with the community, they have changed course on the Credit River bridge project. Instead of rehabilitating one Mississauga’s unique heritage features, the plan is now to demolish and rebuild from scratch. This bridge is an important part of our City’s history and we must preserve and protect it,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. I have sent a letter to Premier Ford to ensure the province is aware of our serious concerns. We want to work with them to find a solution that preserves this important piece of our City’s history. You can’t put a price on heritage.”
The bridge is currently listed on the City’s Heritage Register for architectural reasons and because it is part of cultural heritage landscape. It is also identified as a Provincial Heritage Property of Significance and included on the Ontario Heritage Bridge listing. It is 840 feet long, was originally constructed in 1934 and expanded in 1960. It is owned by the Government of Ontario, Ministry of Transportation. During a recent public information meeting, held on November 7, the Ministry of Transportation advised they are taking an alternative approach to life cycle asset management and will be replacing the bridge rather than rehabilitating.
“As Chair of Mississauga’s Heritage Advisory Committee, I am extremely disappointed at the direction the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Ontario are taking in wanting to now demolish the QEW/Credit River bridge. It’s like saying, we know you’re old, we know you need work, but you’re going to take too much time, effort and money to fix so it’s easier if we just throw you away and start all over again. That’s shameful and it’s very frustrating,” said Ward 11 Councillor George Carlson and Chair of Mississauga’s Heritage of Advisory Committee. “This bridge has been identified as deserving of heritage preservation, why that is being ignored is baffling to me. There’s a reason we have heritage inventories – to preserve and protect our history. Once something like this bridge is gone, it’s gone forever – we can never get it back. That’s why we need to take a strong stance and ensure that we’re doing absolutely everything we can to preserve it.”
In order to demolish the existing bridge, the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, the Honourable Lisa MacLeod, must provide consent. If consent is granted by the Minister, the City of Mississauga is requesting that an application for the demolition be submitted for review by the Heritage Advisory Committee. At this time, no application has been submitted.
Learn more about Heritage Planning and the City’s efforts to identify, protect, conserve and celebrate Mississauga’s cultural heritage.
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Media Contact:
Carley Smith
Supervisor, Media and Public Information
City of Mississauga
905-615-3200, ext. 4203
carley.smith@mississauga.ca
TTY: 905-896-5151