Supersonic jet once made in Mississauga will soon be on display at city park

A ground-breaking supersonic aircraft that owns a significant place in Mississauga’s history will soon be on display in the city for all to see.

Construction of a full-size replica Avro Arrow has begun at Paul Coffey Park in the Malton area of Mississauga, according to Ward 5 Councillor Carolyn Parrish.

It was in Malton where the twin-engine supersonic jet, widely thought of as the ultimate in Canadian aerospace achievement and one of the most advanced jets in the world at the time, was designed and built in the late 1950s.

However, production was unceremoniously halted by the Canadian government in 1959 and the $470-million Arrow program quickly became a thing of the past. Some 15,000 workers, many of whom lived in Malton, lost their jobs at the time.

When completed, the replica Arrow will sit next to the restored CF-100 aircraft that’s been on display for decades at the park along Derry Rd.

Together, they’ll be visible to those flying into and out of nearby Pearson Airport in Mississauga, City officials have noted.

The CF-100, which unfairly, according to many, receives much less attention than the Avro Arrow, was also built in Malton, between 1950 and 1958. Nearly 700 of the aircraft were produced.

Designed to intercept Soviet bombers in North American airspace during the Cold War, the CF-100 was the first fighter to be developed and mass produced in Canada.

The replica Arrow project was approved several years ago by City of Mississauga council at a total cost of $3.6 million. The City is picking up $2.2 million, with the rest coming from community donations and other sources.

Construction of the AVRO Arrow for Paul Coffey Park begins. This model is on display at Erin Park Lexus, a donor to this exciting project. It’s one of several stops for the world’s first supersonic jet which was designed and built in Malton. It’s cancellation was devastating. pic.twitter.com/OTW8kqSOKR

— Mayor Carolyn Parrish (@carolynhparrish) November 10, 2022

Meanwhile, a smaller-scale model of the Avro Arrow is making the rounds in Mississauga, being displayed by donors to the replica project.

Parrish recently tweeted a photo and short video of the model on display at the Erin Park Lexus car dealership in the city’s west end.

The installation of the replica Arrow is part of a larger, ongoing redevelopment of the 112-acre Paul Coffey Park, a multi-use destination formerly known as Wildwood Park that opened in 1968.

“We want to make Paul Coffey Park a popular Malton destination, a community treasure, as well as a place where people want to be,” Mississauga officials said in an online description of the improvement project.

The City has put $40 million into redevelopment of the park in the last several years. 

Check out more photos of the Avro Arrow and the Malton plant where it was built.

Not sure what is better looking, the AVRO Arrow model at Erin Park Lexus or the car beside it. Thank you to Stacey Cohen and team for welcoming the model on its first stop with our many sponsors. And thank you for contributing to this amazing project, finally under way in 2023! pic.twitter.com/MWDpNcwcRa

— Mayor Carolyn Parrish (@carolynhparrish) November 10, 2022