Hogg’s Hollow Tragedy commemorative quilt at York Mills Station

April 2010

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Hogg’s Hollow Tragedy that took the lives of five immigrant workers in 1960, a commemorative quilt was unveiled at its permanent home inside York Mills Station on March 17.

The workers were killed when the water main tunnel they were digging tragically caught fire and flooded. The tunnel was located near Yonge and York Mills, below the Don River.

A memorial quilt was placed on permanent display at York Mills Station. The Labourers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 183 held the commemorative ceremony. It was attended by hundreds of people.

The quilt is called Breaking Ground. Artist Laurie Swim created it. The TTC’s Adrian Piccolo, B.Tech, M.Arch. OAA, was the architect for the display case, which brings to the artwork a “quiet dignity”, says Engineering Manager Susan Reed Tanaka.

The tunnel tragedy is still often mistakenly associated with the subway system. But the Yonge Subway wasn’t extended north to York Mills until 1973 - 13 years after the Hogg’s Hollow Tragedy.