The Humber River Heritage Bridge Inventory
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CROSSINGTHE H UMBER T HE HE 2011 Heritage H UMBER UMBER Canada Foundation NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT R AWARD WINNER IVER IVER for Volunteer Contribution HERIT A GE B RIDGE RIDGE I NVENTORY July 2011 CROSSING THE HUMBER THE HUMBER RIVER HERITAGE BRIDGE INVENTORY www.trca.on.ca Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Humber Watershed Alliance, Heritage Subcommittee Newly Released, July 2011 Fold Here PREAMBLE In 2008, I was introduced to the Humber River Heritage Bridge Inventory to provide advice on one of the identified heritage bridges, slated for de-designation and subsequent demolition. Having recently recommended to the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering that they increase their activities in heritage bridge conservation, I was happy to participate in this inventory project as such initiatives highlight the significant and often overlooked relationship between engineering advancements and our cultural heritage. Over time the widespread loss of heritage bridges has occurred for a variety of reasons: deterioration, changes in highway requirements, or damage by storms like Hurricane Hazel. Today, however, with increasing attention towards cultural heritage, creative solutions are being explored for preserving heritage bridges. Protecting, conserving and celebrating our heritage bridges contributes to not only a greater understanding of the development of approaches to modern day engineering but also marks our progress as a nation, from early settlement to today’s modern and progressive communities. Roger Dorton, C.M., Ph.D., P.Eng. 1 Crossing the Humber: The Humber River Heritage Bridge Inventory TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................. 3 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 1.2 Project Goals ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 A Brief History of Bridges in Ontario ............................................................................................................ 6 2.0 PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 2.1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Application and Limitations of Project .......................................................................................................... 8 3.0 HUMBER RIVER WATERSHED PLAN: PATHWAYS TO A HEALTHY HUMBER .............................. 9 4.0 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................... 10 4.1 Primary Data Stage ......................................................................................................................................... 10 4.1.1 Site Assessment Process .......................................................................................................................... 10 4.1.2 Landowner Contact Program ................................................................................................................. 11 4.1.3 Margins of Error Identified ..................................................................................................................... 12 4.2 Secondary Data Stage ..................................................................................................................................... 12 4.2.1 Municipal Heritage Committees ............................................................................................................ 12 4.2.2 Community Networks ............................................................................................................................. 12 5.0 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................................... 13 6.0 EVALUATION OF BRIDGES OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................... 15 7.0 OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................................................................... 83 8.0 NEXT STEPS ........................................................................................................................................................ 84 9.0 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................................................... 85 10.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................. 86 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................................150 EPILOGUE ...................................................................................................................................................................151 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Humber River Bridges of Heritage Interest .................................................................................................. 4 Figure 2: Preliminary Results from Site Assessments ............................................................................................... 11 Figure 3: Watercourse Crossings Characterization by Type of Structure ............................................................... 13 Figure 4: Humber River Heritage Bridge Inventory Map Index ............................................................................. 82 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Total Humber River Watercourse Crossings and Bridges of Heritage Significance by Municipality ... 13 Table 2: Image Examples of Watercourse Crossings in the Inventory .................................................................... 14 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Map of Humber River Watershed ....................................................................................................... 87 Appendix B: Map of Humber River Watercourse Crossing Sites ........................................................................... 88 Appendix C: List of Humber River Heritage Bridge Inventory Orthographic Site Assessment Maps ............. 89 Appendix D: Orthographic Site Assessment Maps ................................................................................................... 90 Appendix E: Humber River Heritage Bridge Inventory Field Checklist and Data Base Spreadsheet .............111 Appendix F: Land Owner Contact and Permission to Enter Form ......................................................................112 Appendix G: Humber River Heritage Bridges Designated under the Ontario Heritage Act .............................114 Appendix H: A General Overview of Ontario Bridge Types ................................................................................116 Appendix I: Details and Photographs of Humber River Bridges of Heritage Significance ..............................117 Appendix J: Excerpt of Sections 27 and 29, Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act ..............................................147 Appendix K: Conceptual Heritage Tourism Trail in the City of Vaughan ..........................................................148 Appendix L: Pedestrian Trail Networks within the Humber River Watershed ..................................................149 Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Humber Watershed Alliance, Heritage Subcommittee 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Spanning waterways from headwaters to mouth, heritage bridges in the Humber watershed have played a fundamental role to the development of Canada. By connecting communities and their economies, they have promoted growth and progress throughout the ages. Serving as definitive community landmarks and contributing to our cultural character, heritage bridges link us to our shared past. There are contemporary challenges to promoting and protecting heritage bridges. With extensive urbanization occurring in the Humber watershed, heritage bridges are often sacrificed for efficiency as they compete with changing transportation needs. Furthermore, heritage bridge design that may contribute to community character is discouraged in new bridge construction to reduce costs and expedite approvals. As a result, the unique cultural heritage of the Humber watershed diminishes as its population increases. The proposal to conduct the Humber River Heritage Bridge Inventory came from the Heritage Sub-committee of the Humber Watershed Alliance in 2008. The goal of this study is to promote the Humber’s Canadian Heritage River designation with its associated heritage and recreational values; to guide the listing or designation of heritage bridges by local municipalities under the Ontario Heritage Act; and to educate and raise public awareness of these unique features through heritage tourism and conservation planning. Throughout this project, various