The Ontario Line

The Ontario Line is a massive project that will shape our city for generations. It is the first new extended subway line (not a stubway, not an extension, not an LRT) in Toronto since the Bloor-Danforth line in the 1960s. It is deeply necessary, but also very disruptive in an increasingly complicated city. News and disputes about the project have flowed from government agencies, citizen groups, and the media in dribs and drabs – plans here, complaints there. It’s a vast project and hard to grasp in its entirety.
That’s why we’ve devoted our cover section to a comprehensive deep dive into this project. We want to give our readers the big picture. Who is doing the work? What are the changes we can expect? Where are the controversies happening? How is the line different from other TTC subways? Having all the information is the starting point for navigating the tensions that big projects bring.

Along with our cover section, we start off with our usual selection of stories exploring Toronto, from Chinese-character street signs to buildings that moved, renovating a park, and to how to design cities for states of mind. And of course John Lorinc on the opportunity created by John Tory’s resignation as mayor.