Heritage Commemoration on Highway 407
Impacts to the natural and cultural landscape were considered as part of the Highway 407 project planning. An in-depth cultural heritage landscape review was included in the project’s environmental assessment. It was understood that the highway would traverse several small substantially rural communities as well as many natural areas. The highway was also anticipated to encourage rapid urbanization of the adjacent areas, so it was important to commemorate Durham’s historical settlements and early cultural elements.
The main commemorative elements used as part of the highway construction were bridge embossments, and municipal and community gateways. These were used to showcase various local communities within the municipalities (Whitby, Oshawa, and Clarington) and to highlight certain Indigenous and European historical influences on the region. Forests and wetlands were also created to offset removal due to highway creation.
Bridge Embossments
There are five bridge embossments across Highway 407 . Each bridge was designed based on consultation with the various stakeholders. Two of the bridges, Simcoe Street and Solina Road, are embossed with symbols to commemorate the historical influence of Indigenous peoples on the region. They showcase clan symbols and other common significant elements of many Indigenous peoples such as the turtle and medicine wheel.
Simcoe Street:
Solina Road:
The bridges at Baldwin Street, Winchester Road and Best Road each highlight significant heritage of the respective local municipalities. The Baldwin Street and Best Road bridges include embossments of farm elements which have played a significant role in the forming of local communities in Whitby and Clarington, respectively. Much of Clarington is still agricultural land. The Winchester Road bridge includes education-themed symbols on the east side of the bridge symbolizing Oshawa’s rebranding from a predominantly automotive town to a city with over 4 tertiary institutions. The west side of the bridge boasts an equestrian theme symbolizing Durham’s equestrian tradition and specifically, Northern Dancer, the Oshawa-bred thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1964 Kentucky Derby and is one of the most successful sires of all time.
Baldwin Street:
Winchester Road:
Best Road:
Gateways
Six municipal and four community gateways were installed across the project for the following:
Municipalities – Durham Region, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa (one in each direction), Clarington
Municipal gateways:
Community gateways:
Communities – Brooklin, Columbus, Hampton, and Leskard.
The gateways which were completed as part of Phase 2 (Harmony Road to Taunton Road) of the project construction , were designed in consultation with the local municipalities and heritage groups and include materials from heritage houses that were demolished for construction of the highway. Materials salvaged from the heritage properties included fieldstones, bricks and barn wood. Materials from the heritage properties in Phase 1 (Brock Road to Harmony Road) were incorporated into cairns and landscaping features.
Natural Heritage
As part of the environmental assessment, the Ministry of Transportation committed to 1:1 compensation for any forest or wetland vegetation removed for construction of the highways. Nearly 134 hectares of vegetation was planted, including 100 hectares of forests and 34 hectares of wetland. These numbers exceed the amounts removed.