Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension ground breaking ceremony with Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson, Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley, Toronto Mayor David Miller, Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone

January 2010

Officials broke ground on the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension on Nov. 27, 2009.

The ground breaking ceremony took place at the Wilson Yard Connection site near Allen Road and Sheppard Avenue, across from Downsview Station.

“With shovels in the ground today, this project is helping us right now in the midst of a global economic downturn by creating good local jobs,” said Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

The cost of the 8.6-km, six-station extension is approximately $2.6 billion and will create up to 20,000 jobs. The extension is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

“This will be the first subway system that crosses a municipal border linking Toronto and York Region,” said Toronto Mayor David Miller. “It will eventually give hundreds of thousands of daily commuters new transportation options while reducing gridlock on our roads and smog in our air.”

Last September, Commissioners approved the award of a contract worth $14.3 million for a new connection from Downsview Station on the Yonge-University-Spadina Subway to Wilson Subway Yard. The track work represents the first phase of the subway extension.

The project will provide a connecting structure through the current mainline corridor to the maintenance and storage facility. It will also provide for a future third mainline track parallel to the Wilson-to-Downsview mainline, which can be used for short turns and the temporary storage of trains.

Officially breaking ground on the Spadina subway extension on Nov. 27 were: Vaughan Mayor Linda Jackson, Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley, Toronto Mayor David Miller, Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and TTC Chair Adam Giambrone.