Highways When the Early Settlers of Upper Canada Arrived in 1783 and 1784, They Were Faced with a Wilderness of Forest and Swamp
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Highways Highways—Construction of Provincial Highways in Nelson Township, 10 views, n.d. Source: Burlington Historical Society When the early settlers of Upper Canada arrived in 1783 and 1784, they were faced with a wilderness of forest and swamp. Aside from a few military routes between Niagara and Kingston (needed for the Seven Years War in 1763), there were few roads in Upper Canada. The settlers did make use of waterways; however, with their horses and wagons the pioneers had an immediate need for passable roads. Mrs. Simcoe, the wife of the Lieutenant Governor, remarked on her travel along Dundas Street to Burlington that it was, “a terrible king road where the horses feet are entangled among the logs and water and swamp” (Shragge & Bagnato 1984:4). Highway # 2, Lakeshore Road, ca 1925 Source: Burlington Historical Society As the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada in 1791, John Graves Simcoe was commissioned to settle the land and to build defenses against the American colonies to the south. In order to facilitate these orders, Simcoe built inland roads stretching as far as York (Toronto) to St. Clair River, thus making it easier to transport soldiers and goods. The first road Simcoe established was Yonge Street. It ran north and south between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe. The second road was Dundas Street, named after Henry Dundas, a British Colonial Secretary (Shragge & Bagnato 1984). Simcoe died in 1806 and did not live to witness the completion of Dundas Street, and subsequently, the integral role that his road planning would play in the development of Nelson Township. Dundas Street, later known as Highway 5, was instrumental in developing Nelson Township. Dundas Street was the main transport artery in Upper Canada in the early 19th century. The stage coach ran along Dundas Street from Hamilton to Toronto in 1835, which made resting spots along the way a necessity (Turcotte 1989). Since Nelson Township was a natural halfway point between Hamilton and Toronto, the settlements along Dundas Street in the Township capitalized on the needs of travelers who would have needed food and a place to sleep. In hamlet of Hannahsville – later known as Nelson – was the Nelson Inn (previously named Grover Inn). The Village of Tansley was another option for respite along Dundas Street, offering taverns and a hotel (Martindale Planning Services 2011). Dundas Street was the catalyst for the growth of these communities, allowing for the expansion of services and attracting new visitors. Aerial view of the QEW and No. 2 Highway interchange and environs, 1968 Source: Burlington Historical Society Today Highway 5 has been developed as a main arterial road, connecting the northern parts of the City of Hamilton, the City of Burlington and the Town of Oakville. New modern suburbs have been developed on both sides of the road, erasing many of the little communities of Nelson Township that existed along Dundas Street. Lakeshore Road was chosen by the High Commission of Ontario in 1914 to be the major road connecting Toronto and Hamilton that would run along the shore of Lake Ontario. The 1915 Annual Report on Highway Improvement stated that “it is thus apparent that the Lakeshore route will itself create, and will attract, the greatest amount of motor traffic of all kinds” (Shragge & Bagnato 1984:69). The total cost of the highway; including paving and expansion, was $33,000 per mile. Each City, the many Townships, and the Province paid a portion of the amount. The highway – eventually called Highway 2 – opened in November 1917 and was considered to be the most important highway construction projects of its time (Shragge & Bagnato 1984). The new highway made Lakeshore one of the busiest roads of the area, thus increasing the number of visitors and helping showcase the villages and towns along the way. QEW, n.d. Source: Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Historical Committee The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) was built in response to the fact that Dundas Street and Upper Middle Road could no longer handle the ever-increasing traffic between Hamilton and Toronto (Shragge & Bagnato 1984). Thomas Baker McQuesten, as Minister of Highways (1934-1943) and the Chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission (1934-1944), was influential in the conception and design of the QEW. McQuesten’s greatest attribute was his ability to combine the required engineering requirements with appropriate aesthetics for every road and bridge he saw to completion (Ontario’s Historical Plaques n.d.). McQuesten oversaw the construction of the QEW which began in 1937 and was completed in 1956. The QEW had a total distance of 90.3 miles of pavement that wrapped around Lake Ontario. The highway was one of the first to introduce the divided four lane highway which was imposed for safety measures (Shragge & Bagnato 1984). These three highways, particularly the QEW, have transformed Burlington into a bustling city that that has developed its own business core while offering convenient access to two of Ontario biggest cities: Hamilton and Toronto. Burlington, Ontario—Aerial Views, 1967 – Q.E.W. and Hwy. 25 with Skyway Bridge, June 1967 Source: Burlington Historical Society The Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway – originally the Burlington Bay Skyway – is named after Canadian politician James Allan. He was the Mayor of Dunnville and Warden of Haldimand County. Construction of the bridge started in 1954 on the Burlington Beach Strip. When the bridge opened in 1958, it immediately alleviated traffic congestion between St. Catharines, Hamilton, Burlington and Toronto. John Turner Bell was the bridge architect and Philip Louis Partley was the consulting engineer. Partley also worked on the Quebec Bridge over the St. Lawrence River and built bridges for the Grand Trunk Railway among many other projects (Passfield 2006). The construction of the bridge has impacted the landscape of Burlington Bay greatly by virtue of its size. At the time of construction, the bridge was the largest one in Canada at a length of 84,000 feet with a maximum height of 120 feet (Tourism Burlington n.d). Sources: Martindale Planning Services 2011 Heritage Impact Assessment: City of Burlington 5218-5266 Dundas Street. Urban Planning & Development Consultants. Accessed online at: http://cms.burlington.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=20158 Ontario’s Historical Plaque n.d. Thomas Baker McQuesten, 1882-1948. Ontario Plaques. Accessed online at: http://www.ontarioplaques.com/Plaques_GHI/Plaque_Hamilton32.html Passfield, R. 2006 Philip Louis Pratley (1884-1958): bridge design engineer. NRC Research Press. Accessed online at: https://www.idmarch.org/document/Dominion+Bridge+Company/1OVa- show/637++Philip+Louis+Pratley+%281884%E2%80%931958%29%3A+bridge+design Shragge, J. & Bagnato, S. 1984 From Footpaths to Freeways. Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Historical Committee. Tourism Burlington n.d. Scenic Beach Drive Burlington to Hamilton. Tourism Burlington. Accessed online at: http://www.tourismburlington.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Scenic-Beach-Drive-Burlington-to- Hamilton.pdf .