Heritage plaque unveiling at historic Huron Road Bridge

Waterloo Region - On Saturday, July 9, 2016 the Region of Waterloo, together with the City of Kitchener, will celebrate the Huron Road Bridge with the unveiling of a new commemorative plaque.

Constructed in 1930, it is the Region's earliest and only remaining example of a concrete bridge constructed with visible steel I-beams for support.

The historic interpretive plaque will commemorate the area's past and the uniqueness of the structure's design. The plaque traces the story of this crossing at Schneider's Creek from the construction of the Huron Road in 1828-29, to the recent rehabilitation of the bridge in 2012.

The Huron Road Bridge was ranked 10 among the 100 heritage bridges studied by the Region's Heritage Planning Advisory Committee (HPAC), and this plaque is the ninth in a series produced by the Committee as part of the Heritage Bridges Recognition Program. Other significant historic bridges that have been recognized include the West Montrose Covered Bridge, Black Bridge Road Bridge in Hespeler and the Hartman Bridge in New Hamburg.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to commemorate the storied and unique history of the Huron Road Bridge and the surrounding community," said Lucille Bish, Director of Cultural Services.

Everyone is invited to attend the unveiling ceremony on July 9, 2016 from noon to 12:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place on the southeast side of the Huron Road Bridge at the entrance to the trail that runs parallel to Schneider's Creek. The unveiling will include remarks by local and regional representatives, historians, and a speaker from the Homer Watson House & Gallery.

Following the plaque unveiling, the public is invited to attend History Under the Trees, an annual event hosted by the Waterloo Historical Society that takes place across the street at the Waterloo Region Museum beginning at 1 p.m. (regular museum admission fees apply).

Event details: Huron Road Bridge plaque unveiling

Date: Saturday, July 9, 2016

Time: Noon to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Southeast side of the Huron Road Bridge at the entrance to the trail that runs parallel to Schneider's Creek. Parking is available at the Waterloo Region Museum (10 Huron Rd., Kitchener). To reach the plaque, follow the trail from the east end of the parking lot and cross Huron Road.

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For more information please contact: Lindsay Benjamin at LBenjamin@regionofwaterloo.ca or 519-575-4757 ext. 3210.