Construction is set to begin on a new safety barrier on Toronto’s Leaside Bridge, two years after a 76-year-old man was killed when another person fell from the bridge and landed on his vehicle.
The family of the Harold Lusthouse has been fighting for the safety measures to be added to the bridge since they lost their father on Father’s Day in 2024.
Last year, Tali Uditsky and her brother took their campaign to City Hall. “He was stolen from us. Taken away as a result of the failure of the City to protect its citizens,” said Uditsky.
City council later voted to accelerate the process to install the safety measures and now, more than year later, construction will begin on a temporary safety barrier, with an estimated cost of $2.4 million.
“It’s very encouraging. very encouraging. We’ve been waiting a long time for a safety barrier to be built on the Leaside Bridge. We’ve had some terrible accidents and near misses over the years. So this will save lives,” said Councillor James Pasternak.
Pasternak spearheaded the effort to install the barriers, after a friend of the family reached out to his office. He said construction couldn’t come soon enough.
“Since this was brought to committee, another person has jumped off that bridge and another person has thrown a bike off that bridge. So it remains a present risk,” shared Pasternak.
The temporary barrier would consist of curved steel frames with mesh wire. Construction is scheduled to begin in July and is estimated to be completed by December.
The City says construction will be carried out in two stages to allow the bridge to stay open during construction.
Safety barriers like the one on the Bloor Viaduct have been proven effective. A report by Sunnybrook Hospital found that only one person died in the first decade after those were built.
But according to a city report, installing permanent barriers designed to last the life of the Leaside Bridge will be a more extensive process.
The cost for that would range between $8 and $9 million and take up to 12 months to build. The report states that because of the traffic impacts and the cost, work on that won’t be done until the next major state-of-good-repair project on the bridge in 2037.
The Lusthouse family declined to comment on the installation of the temporary safety barriers at this time. The family is also suing the City of Toronto for failing to put up a barrier over the years while the city has denied any legal responsibility.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Construction is set to begin on a new safety barrier on Toronto’s Leaside Bridge, two years after a 76-year-old man was killed when another person fell from the bridge and landed on his vehicle. The family of the Harold Lusthouse has been fighting for the safety measures to be added to the bridge since they lost their Local
Construction is set to begin on a new safety barrier on Toronto’s Leaside Bridge, two years after a 76-year-old man was killed when another person fell from the bridge and landed on his vehicle.
The family of the Harold Lusthouse has been fighting for the safety measures to be added to the bridge since they lost their father on Father’s Day in 2024.
Last year, Tali Uditsky and her brother took their campaign to City Hall. “He was stolen from us. Taken away as a result of the failure of the City to protect its citizens,” said Uditsky.
City council later voted to accelerate the process to install the safety measures and now, more than year later, construction will begin on a temporary safety barrier, with an estimated cost of $2.4 million.
“It’s very encouraging. very encouraging. We’ve been waiting a long time for a safety barrier to be built on the Leaside Bridge. We’ve had some terrible accidents and near misses over the years. So this will save lives,” said Councillor James Pasternak.
Pasternak spearheaded the effort to install the barriers, after a friend of the family reached out to his office. He said construction couldn’t come soon enough.
“Since this was brought to committee, another person has jumped off that bridge and another person has thrown a bike off that bridge. So it remains a present risk,” shared Pasternak.
The temporary barrier would consist of curved steel frames with mesh wire. Construction is scheduled to begin in July and is estimated to be completed by December.
The City says construction will be carried out in two stages to allow the bridge to stay open during construction.
Safety barriers like the one on the Bloor Viaduct have been proven effective. A report by Sunnybrook Hospital found that only one person died in the first decade after those were built.
But according to a city report, installing permanent barriers designed to last the life of the Leaside Bridge will be a more extensive process.
The cost for that would range between $8 and $9 million and take up to 12 months to build. The report states that because of the traffic impacts and the cost, work on that won’t be done until the next major state-of-good-repair project on the bridge in 2037.
The Lusthouse family declined to comment on the installation of the temporary safety barriers at this time. The family is also suing the City of Toronto for failing to put up a barrier over the years while the city has denied any legal responsibility.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8. Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.