Ontario Line

The Ontario Line

The Ontario Line is a 15.5 kilometre rapid transit line that will connect the Ontario Science Centre to Exhibition Place grounds and provide relief to TTC Yonge-University Line 1. The province decided to replace the City of Toronto's planned Downtown Relief Line with the Metrolinx-led Ontario Line project in 2019.   

The Ontario Line will deliver needed transit to our community and across the city. However the impact of its construction will be felt in Toronto-Danforth for many years.

I share the latest on Ontario Line work and more on my Ward 14 construction page and in my weekly e-newsletter.

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2024 Updates 

2024 Pape Ontario Line Construction Meetings: Recordings & Slides

TDSB Trustee Sara Ehrhardt and I hosted virtual meetings in winter 2024 to update residents on upcoming Ontario Line construction along Pape and get community input on how to best minimize impacts.

• View the recording and presentation slides from our April 2024 meeting on construction impacts to the Pape & Cosburn and Pape & O'Connor areas and the Don Valley
• View the recording and presentation slides from our March 2024 meeting on construction impacts to the Pape-Danforth and Pape-Sammon areas
• View the recording and presentation slides from our February 2024 meeting on construction impacts to the Pape-Riverdale area, including Pape School

Subscribe to my weekly e-newsletter or visit my Ward 14 construction page for the latest on Ontario Line construction.

2023 Updates 

Subcommittee on Ontario Line Construction

In February 2023 Paula along with Councillors Ausma Malik and Chris Moise started the Subcommittee on Ontario Line Construction in response to concerns from residents and community stakeholders about Metrolinx's lack of public engagement and communication on construction impacts. Read more here.

Construction on the Ontario Line east of the Don River is set to begin soon. While it will deliver needed transit to our community and across the city, the impact of this construction will be felt here in Toronto-Danforth for many years. Read Paula's initial update on all of the transit projects and other major city work in our ward beginning in the spring and summer of 2023.

City Hall

In October 2019, over 200 letters and dozens of speakers spoke to Executive Committee asking the Mayor and City Council to stand up for our neighbourhood.  You can watch your neighbours here.

I championed these safety and community issues and that resulted in City Council passing motions requesting Metrolinx take appropriate action regarding safety concerns and community impacts of the Ontario Line, including the protection of parks, local services and community centres.

On January 29th, 2020 City Council called for the Province and Metrolinx to undertake a full, formal Transit Project Assessment Process that would consider alternative technology, station locations and alignment, including putting the Gerrard to Don River section underground.

Alas, Metrolinx has not heeded these requests from Toronto City Council.  At a community meeting on May 13, 2020, and subsequently on various occasions, Metrolinx advised that they are not considering burying the section of the Ontario Line from East Harbour to Gerrard as requested by the community and the City of Toronto, but are only looking at an above ground line in the current heavy rail railway corridor.

The impact of this on Jimmy Simpson Park and Recreation Centre is of great concern to me and many in the community.  At the July 2020 City Council meeting, I moved another successful motion to have City staff work to address any negative impacts either during construction or after the Ontario Line might have on this important community asset.

In September 2020, Metrolinx started releasing further details on their Ontario Line plan. So, at the September 30th Council meeting, I moved successful motions calling for City Staff to report back:

• on the impacts to Jimmie Simpson Park & Rec Centre and the seven other well-loved parks along the tracks
• with a price comparison of constructing the Ontario Line above ground as compared to underground  from Don River to Gerrard and the same for the Eglinton Ave W LRT extension
• with an update on my previous motions on safety, constructability and community impacts

Community Meetings

September 2019

In September 2019, MPP Peter Tabuns and I held a meeting with community members concerned about the above ground portion of the Ontario Line which is proposed to run along the GO tracks from Eastern to Gerard, as well as the northern section up Pape to the Don Valley. There are a lot of concerns about noise, vibration, safety, impacts businesses, parks and green spaces along the GO corridor and concerns about the location and impact of the new bridge over the Don Valley.

January 2020

Peter and I held a Community Action Meeting to organize our community’s response to the Ontario Line on January 15, 2020. Metrolinx also hosted a series of Open Houses in late January/early February 2020. I requested that they include an East York meeting as a part of that and they agreed.

July 2020

Peter and I held an online meeting to update the community.  You can read more about that on this page. We also released this statement on the anniversary of Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario releasing  their Initial Business Case for the Ontario Line.

October 2020

South Section

MPP Peter Tabuns and I held a virtual public meeting on October 8th, 2020 regarding the south section of the Ontario Line.

North Section

MPP Peter Tabuns and I held a virtual public meeting on October 16th, 2020 for residents who are impacted by the North of Danforth section of the Ontario Line.

Ontario Line – Virtual Public Meetings on Bill 171

The Provincial Government held, on June 8-10 2020,  virtual hearings  on Bill 171, the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020. This Bill would increase the powers of the Provincial Government in respect to Transit Projects like the Ontario Line, and decrease the already limited powers of municipalities.

I notified the community on how they might participate in these hearings and let the provincial government know their views on the matter. I also deputed on June 8th to express community concerns about this project.

Upcoming Metrolinx Public Open Houses

to be announced

You can also visit Metrolinx’s Ontario Line website on line here and the Ontario Line Environmental Conditions Report here.

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