Province Breaks Ground on Ontario Line’s Queen Station

TORONTO — The Ontario government has started excavation work at the Ontario Line’s Queen Station, marking another milestone in the province’s plan to protect Ontario by building world-class transit, reducing gridlock and creating thousands of good-paying jobs in Canada’s fastest-growing city.

"Under Premier Ford’s leadership, our government is making real progress on the long-awaited Ontario Line — an ambitious project that delivers on our commitment to fight gridlock and get commuters moving," said Stephen Lecce, MPP for King–Vaughan. "This station alone will serve over 15,000 riders during rush hour, and we’re pulling out all the stops to deliver the largest public transit expansion in North America. From the Ontario Line to upgrades at King City, Maple, and Rutherford GO stations, we’re helping people spend less time in traffic and more time at home with their families."

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re building the Ontario Line to keep people moving across the city with faster, more reliable transit,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “The Ontario Line is a game-changer for our economy, connecting more people to housing and supporting thousands of good-paying construction jobs at a time when we must protect Ontario workers and businesses from growing threats south of the border.”

With crews set to excavate more than 100,000 cubic metres of dirt and rock, the new Ontario Line platform at Queen Station will be built 40 metres below street level, directly beneath the existing TTC Queen Station. It will be the busiest stop on the Ontario Line, serving over 15,000 riders during peak hours and significantly improving access to destinations throughout the downtown and across the Greater Toronto Area.

“Canada is a nation of builders; this project builds connectivity for the people of Toronto to connect them to the city they love through reliable, sustainable, and affordable public transit,” said Gregor Robertson, federal Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada. “I’m thrilled to see the work begin for the Queen Station to continue to build Canada strong.”

Once complete, the 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line will have 15 stations, running from Exhibition Place through the downtown core and connecting to the Line 5 Eglinton at Don Mills Road. The line will offer more than 40 connections to other subway, bus, streetcar and regional train services, bringing 227,500 more people within walking distance of transit and reducing daily car trips by at least 28,000.

“We need to get Toronto moving for drivers, pedestrians and public transit users. The Ontario Line is a vital new public transit option that will alleviate congestion and help hundreds of thousands of Torontonians get to their destination faster," said Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto. “We are partnering together with the province to give riders better public transit options. I’m excited to celebrate this important milestone.”

Quick Facts

• Ontario is investing more than $60 billion over the next decade in the largest transit expansion in North America.

• As part of the Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the government is delivering Ontario’s priority transit projects, which include the largest subway expansion in Canadian history – the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.

• By 2041, the Ontario Line will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14,000 tonnes annually and cut overall fuel consumption by more than 7 million litres a year – the equivalent of nearly 120,000 fill-ups at the pump per year.

  
  

Quotes

"Our government is making incredible progress to deliver the Ontario Line, part of our broader plan to protect Ontario by reducing gridlock, creating good-paying jobs and driving economic growth. I’m excited to see that excavation work has started on the new Queen Station, which will connect thousands of riders and commuters to the downtown core."

- Kinga Surma

Minister of Infrastructure

"We're excited to work with our partners in government to deliver the Ontario Line, which will vastly improve travel times and enable thousands of journeys across the city. The start of excavation work at what will be the busiest station on this new line is an important milestone for the project."

- Michael Lindsay

Interim President and CEO, Metrolinx