8 MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2004 Birth of a subway Ever since Yonge Street ond scheme, only an unfin- was little more than a dirt ished station exists today, lo- highway ending at Lake On- cated directly below Queen tario, it has been Toronto’s subway station. main north-south artery. The federal government Horse-drawn trams first was expected to subsidize 20 came to Yonge in 1861, cour- per cent of the costs to build tesy of Toronto Street Rail- the subway, but the money way Company, followed 30 never arrived. The city went years later by the electric ahead anyway, scaling back streetcars. the proposal to just the The idea of running trains Yonge route. beneath the street was first Thanks to post-war short- proposed between 1909 and ages of building material, 1912, but it was the Second construction began two World War that proved the years late in 1949. The work need for a subway line. launch ceremony took place Wartime factory workers on Sept. 8 of that year, host- were pouring onto Toronto’s ed by Monty Hall, who later extensive but overwhelmed became known to North streetcar system, and Yonge Americans as the host of the Street became a tangle of television show Let’s Make multi-car trams and auto- A Deal. mobiles. At the launch site, On- To prevent the city from tario’s then Lieutenant-Gov- choking on its own traffic, ernor, Ray Lawson, climbed TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE the then Toronto Trans- inside a pile driver and On March 30, 1954, Canada's first subway train pulled out of Davisville station loaded with riders — and witnessed by portation Commission pro- pulled a lever to pound the throngs of spectators. posed a “rapid transit sub- first “soldier” beam into way” beneath Yonge Street place. All the local radio sta- boring machine, a large chasing technology similar to the mayor together pushed a running from Eglinton Av- tions carried the entire event trench was dug into Yonge what was being run on the lever forward, changing a enue south to Front Street live. The official party then Street, and utility pipes were London Underground. nearby track signal from where it would connect to moved to the Royal York relocated — some of them Toronto’s first subway cars amber to green. The subway Union Station — the city’s Hotel while the workers with difficulty as they did arrived in the Port of Mon- was officially open. central transportation hub. began the real job of excava- not appear on any map. Steel treal in 1953, and made their Six hundred invited guests Toronto voters over- tion. cross-beams were used to journey to Toronto by freight boarded the inaugural train, whelmingly approved con- “Cut-and-cover” was cho- support a heavy wooden train. and Torontonians would struction of an underground sen as the technique to build deck, allowing traffic to re- take over a quarter million line on Jan. 1, 1946, along the underground portions of turn to the street. CANADA’S FIRST rides that day. “Eglinton to with a plan for a Queen the 7.4 km line. Far less ex- The construction was dis- SUBWAY OPENS Union in 12 Minutes” the streetcar subway. Of the sec- pensive than using a tunnel ruptive not only to automo- newspaper headlines cried, biles and local business, but Ontario Premier Leslie although the first trip actual- to the backbone of the city’s Frost and Toronto Mayor ly took 14 minutes. Previous- streetcar network as Yonge Allan Lamport officially ly, that trip on the Yonge cars were diverted around opened the Yonge subway at streetcar took 30 minutes — the work zones to nearby Davisville station around assuming traffic was streets. The phrase “Side- 11:00 a.m. on March 30, favourable. walk Superintendent” was 1954. Metropolitan Toronto At 1:30 pm. the Yonge sub- coined for citizens who daily Chairman Frederick Gar- way opened to the waiting fed their curiosity by watch- diner was also in attendance, public. Those who had taken ing work in the trench. The along with crowds of citi- the streetcar to work took TTC even produced a manu- zens, TTC employees and the subway home. The Yonge al for the most avid onlook- print, radio and newsreel streetcar line, established in ers, explaining the building journalists. Toronto’s first 1861, faded from existence process. television station did not between 1:30 pm and As construction headed start broadcasting until Au- 2:00 that afternoon. north from Front Street, gust of that year. JAMES BOW & ED DRASS crews ran into solid rock, In a speech that echoes a FOR METRO TORONTO stretching as far north as Transfer from the opening half century later, TTC SEE PART TWO Queen Street. This required day of the Yonge subway Chairman W.C. McBrien's OF TTC HISTORY TOMORROW dynamite charges to remove line. called for the immediate it, and blasts occurred twice commencement of construc- daily, at noon and 4:30 pm. was taken to support the tion on the Queen Street celebration In the end, 1.3 million buildings while work contin- streetcar subway and sever- ■ cubic metres of material was ued underground. Once the al other sweeping measures The Special Anniversary removed from the route, subway tunnel was com- to reduce downtown conges- train for the public leaves much of it trucked to Ash- plete, the buildings got their tion, including fringe park- Eglinton Station at about bridges Bay on Lake Ontario. cellar floors back. ing lots, one-way streets and 10:35 a.m. tomorrow. This About 12,700 metric tons The Yonge subway was to the adoption of staggered train will stop at all sta- of reinforcing steel and 1.4 have been finished by 1953, working hours. tions from Eglinton to million bags of cement were but the Korean War inter- In his words, the Yonge Union. used to create the train tun- vened and a steel shortage Street subway line was “not Events at Union station nels and stations. dragged the work on until the final solution of Toronto's will include: ■ The cut-and-cover tech- 1954. The final cost of the traffic problems. It is only A minute of silence in nique still required the de- route came to $67 million. the start of combating this recognition of those who molition of many homes, al- While work was under- monster. Many other (rapid were injured or killed in though it left developable way below street level, TTC transit) lines will have to be subway construction. ■ land behind once the tunnel officials were searching for built in the future.” The Unveiling of Canada was complete. When the new subway cars. Turning chairman went on to warn Post's new TTC subway subway passed beneath down trains from the United that the TTC could not afford stamp. ■ buildings that weren’t to be States, they finally settled on to build more subway lines Dedication and locking demolished — including the Gloucester Railway Car- without government assis- of a time capsule com- areas around Bloor and St. riage and Wagon Company tance. memorating the event. Clair stations — great care of Gloucester, England, pur- Finally, the premier and 6 TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2004 BORROW UP TO PAGER PLUS $ .00 1000 a friend can always reach you, your UNTIL PAYDAY family knows how to find you • Choice of numeric pager BAD CREDIT? NO CREDIT? • Free Voice Mail ! Subway 50 today • Free Activation ! NO PROBLEM! • Service From $5.00 Fifty years ago today, 97% Instantly Approved Torontonians went below Per Month street level to marvel at their by phone/fax/internet • FREE SAMEDAY For Only modern new subway. At 50% off 1st loan with this ad DELIVERY! 2:30 p.m., the very last 645-LOAN (5626) $30 Yonge streetcar — until then or incl tax www.tgipayday.ca a very common sight with its 1436 Danforth Ave. passenger trailer — departed Eglinton for Front Street. Call Today!416.798.7271 Signs proclaiming it to be the last run were so large that most of the invited DO YOU HAVE LOTS OF CREDIT CARDS & LOANS party of rail enthusiasts rode AND YOU CAN’T HANDLE THEIR PAYMENTS?? in the second car, just to be able to see out. - All your income going to bills. Subway Day, or “S-Day,” - Everyday there is fight & argument at home. heralded the end of streetcar - Creditors and collection agencies are calling you and they service not only on Yonge, are threatening to take legal actions. but on many lines that - Your salary is being garnished. would eventually become THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS TO BANKRUPTCY bus routes. With the subway, We can save you from threatening phone calls, the TTC’s electrical demands garnishment and reduce your debts to 40% interest free created a strain on the city’s Call us and live a peaceful debtfree life hydro-electric supply — has- Confidentiality Guaranteed tening the eventual with- drawal of streetcars from CREDIT MANAGEMENT SERVICES Church, Front and Bay Phone: (416) 780-1020 Streets. The phenomenon of TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE FILE PHOTO disappearing Toronto trams The Bloor-Danforth line opened in 1966, when this photo was taken of a TTC guide ex- would not cease until citi- plaining the new route to riders FORGET PIN NUMBERS, zens rallied to protect them JUST DIAL 10-10-620. two decades later. versity Avenue from Union After years of detours, Station to St. George and dust and inconvenience, a Bloor. Yonge Street reopening cere- The University subway .7 ¢ mony was scheduled for Oct. was initially underused, and 20, 1954, only to be derailed until the opening of the per minute* Italyas low as by Hurricane Hazel.