The assembled Avro Arrow replica is lowered into place in June at what will be its permanent location at Paul Coffey Park in Mississauga. (Photo: Mayor Carolyn Parrish X)
A piece of aviation history is being unveiled to the public tonight in Mississauga.
After nearly a decade in the works, a near full-size replica of the Avro Arrow CF-105 supersonic jet often described as a significant part of Mississauga’s story is being officially introduced to the community.
Though the replica jet was carefully lowered into its permanent spot on June 24 at Paul Coffey Park in Malton, a Thursday evening ceremony attended by the public and key players who made the project a reality is being staged at the same location. The 90-minute event gets underway at 7:30 p.m.
The replica, conceived of some nine years ago and built in Barrie before being trucked south on Highway 400 to Mississauga in late June, is situated on a pedestal nearby the restored CF-100 model aircraft that’s been on display for decades at the Malton park.
Tribute to Mississauga’s aviation history
There, it will remain on display as a tribute to the city’s — and country’s — aviation history, those behind the years-long endeavour say.
“The Avro Arrow was a groundbreaking Canadian supersonic jet and a remarkable part of Mississauga’s aviation history,” the City of Mississauga said last week in acknowledging the jet’s story that began back in the 1950s.
Mayor Carolyn Parrish, in a post to social media on Thursday, described the undertaking as “one of the most exciting projects I’ve taken on,” adding the finished product serves as “an amazing inspiration to the young people of Mississauga.”
Earlier, the mayor posted a video of the replica being assembled and put in place at the Mississauga park, located just north of Toronto Pearson Airport (see video at bottom of story).
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Parrish said plans are also in the works to have the scale model Avro Arrow illuminated at night.
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Malton history comes alive tonight!
Join us as we officially unveil the replica Avro Arrow CF-105 RL-201 with the City of Mississauga.
In 1842, Malton was just a quiet farmland. It grew into a small settlement until aerospace innovation changed… pic.twitter.com/leYYQVm3Si
— Malton BIA (@MaltonBIA) August 27, 2026
Malton Business Improvement Area vice-chair Khushwant Singh Bajwa said this week the project was about more than simply building a replica.
“The technical complexities, fundraising efforts, partnerships, engineering expertise and years of coordination required to bring this project to life have been remarkable,” Bajwa said in a news release issued by the BIA, a key partner in the project. “The board is incredibly proud of what has been achieved. This installation reflects the determination of our community and stands as a symbol of Malton’s pride, resilience and contribution to Canada’s aviation story.”
Jayshree Patel-Surray, general manager of the Malton BIA, said earlier this summer the replica Avro Arrow’s arrival and permanent installation at the Derry Road East and Goreway Drive park represents the culmination of a multi-year community effort led by the Malton BIA, City of Mississauga, local leaders, corporate partners and private donors.
The Avro Arrow itself was built some seven decades ago in the Malton area of Mississauga, with only a handful completed prior to the jet’s manufacturing operation suddenly being shut down in the late 1950s.
Completed replica marks significant milestone
The large likeness of what’s been described as a groundbreaking supersonic aircraft marks a significant milestone for Malton and Canadian aviation heritage, the Malton BIA said earlier.
Calling the years-long effort a “landmark project,” the BIA added “the dramatic scale replica returns Canada’s most iconic aircraft to the community where it was originally built and celebrates Malton’s historic role as a global aerospace hub.”
The BIA said this week the Avro Arrow replica “will become the centerpiece of a growing cultural and tourism corridor that brings together several of Malton’s most recognized attractions, including the Malton Sign, Castle Playground, Superfan Nav Bhatia Basketball Courts, Paul Coffey Arena and the historic CF-100 aircraft display.
“Together, these attractions are expected to create a unique destination that attracts visitors, students, aviation enthusiasts, historians and families from across the region.”
One of the most exciting projects l’ve taken on. Nine years to complete. The first supersonic jet was built in Malton!
An amazing inspiration to the young people of Mississauga! pic.twitter.com/CiTZRQI0aA
— Mayor Carolyn Parrish (@carolynhparrish) August 27, 2026
The public art project has been in the works for nearly a decade and was initially to be completed at some point in 2023 or soon thereafter. However, unspecified issues led to delays in unveiling the piece to the public.
In 2017, the Malton BIA said, its chair, Sam Kohli, and Parrish, then Ward 5 councillor, began discussing a vision to create “a landmark that would celebrate Malton’s unparalleled contribution to Canadian aviation history.”
The Avro Arrow was designed and built in Malton in the late 1950s before production was unceremoniously halted by the Canadian government in 1959.
At the time, the jet was widely thought of as the ultimate in Canadian aerospace achievement and one of the most advanced jets in the world.
Some 15,000 people lost their jobs
The sudden halt of the $470-million Arrow program in 1959 put some 15,000 employees, many of whom lived in Malton, out of work.
In a nod to the significant place the 1950s’-era twin-engine supersonic jet has staked out in Mississauga’s history, the City of Mississauga paid the bulk of the cost to have the near full-size replica built and installed at Paul Coffey Park.
While initial plans called for a full-size replica to be constructed, rising cost of materials prompted city officials to scale things back by about 20 per cent several years ago in order to stay on budget, Parrish said earlier.
The replica Arrow project was approved several years ago by city council at a total cost of $3.6 million. The city planned to pick up $2.2 million (now $2.75 million) of that tab, with the rest coming from community donations and other sources.
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. Sections of the new-look park are scheduled to open this summer.
Check out more photos of the Avro Arrow and the Malton plant where it was built.
Our Avro Arrow replica has arrived! So proud to join crews, constructor Andrew O’Connor, and residents like ‘Arrow Head’ Dean to witness its unloading/assembling. The official unveiling is set for Aug 31 in Paul Coffey Park #CanadianHistory pic.twitter.com/LlDtRiHmMh
— Mayor Carolyn Parrish (@carolynhparrish) June 24, 2026
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