Stotts' Bridge demolition approved with sympathetic replacement and commemoration plan

development

Stotts' Bridge demolition approved with sympathetic replacement and commemoration plan

The Toronto Preservation Board has approved demolition of Stotts' Bridge, a 1915 Warren pony truss bridge in poor to defective condition, on Twyn Rivers Drive in the Rouge River National Urban Park. The decision approves a phased replacement: a temporary bridge will be installed while a permanent sympathetically designed steel truss bridge is planned and constructed. Staff determined conservation is not feasible given the bridge's structural deterioration, and alternatives were thoroughly explored. The decision is conditional on documentation and public commemoration plans that may incorporate salvaged elements.

adoptedToronto Preservation Board · Thu, Jul 23Ottawa decides

From the floor

“All alternatives to demolition were thoroughly explored and heritage planning staff are of the opinion that the proposed demolition is supportable as a last resort given the poor condition of the bridge.”Toronto Heritage Planning staff

“The bridge has undergone rehabilitation and unfortunately we just it's reached end of life.”Archaeological Services Inc., consultant

“It's obviously unfortunate that it ever comes to demolition, but obviously as said in the report that it's beyond the stage where anything else could be done. So demolition is just unfortunately the only acceptable choice here to make.”An accountability officer

“If there is anything that can be preserved or displayed sometimes old bridges have abutments with date stamps or maybe they have a builder's plate on them so forth. I just think that's a great idea in this case.”An accountability officer

Also in this item

• Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in July 2024 after routine inspections identified concrete abutments with wide cracks, delamination and spalling, and moderate to severe corrosion on steel trusses; does not meet modern code requirements or load capacity for evacuation route use.

The journey

Thu, Jul 23 · Toronto Preservation Board · adopted

Decision

City Council approval recommended for demolition of Stotts' Bridge with conditions: (1) prior to demolition, structural elements suitable for salvage will be identified; (2) staff will secure a documentation report; (3) staff will secure a mitigation and commemoration plan including a sympathetically designed replacement bridge, interpretation plan, and documentation of the bridge prior to demolition.

On video

Jump to this item in the meeting video

Why is this story here?

Big deal at city hallThis is a decision to demolish a Part IV designated heritage structure and replace it with a permanent sympathetically designed bridge. While the item does not remove options from future councils, it is a hard-to-reverse infrastructure decision affecting a structure with direct heritage value, contextual significance to the rural landscape, and association with civil engineer Frank Barber. The decision involves new permanent infrastructure construction spanning multiple years.Touches a narrow groupThe bridge serves an evacuation route (Twyn Rivers Drive to the Pickering nuclear station) and provides the only crossing on this route between Sheppard Avenue East and the city limits. However, the structure has been closed to vehicular traffic since July 2024, and no resident's ordinary week is affected by its current state or demolition. The effect touches a bounded group (those using the evacuation route or the Rouge River National Urban Park) at one remove.

Stories are ordered by how much weight a decision carries and how directly it reaches daily life. They rise as a decision date approaches and fall as they age.

Official title: Stotts’ Bridge, Twyn Rivers Drive over the Rouge River - Demolition of a Designated Heritage Structure, Approval with Conditions · meeting video