During the days of my childhood, the Canadian National Exhibition was the highlight of my summer, and half the fun of attending the Ex was getting to the Ex, using the special streetcar services (the 521 King Exhibition and 522 Dundas Exhibition cars) to get there.

I haven’t attended the Exhibtion for years, but hundreds of thousands of visitors still do and, starting this Friday and going until the fair’s end on Labour Day, the TTC will be on hand with special services and extra vehicles to help you get there. If you’re going to the CNE, get on the subway and head to either Dundas West, Dufferin, Bathurst or Union stations. From there, frequent buses and streetcars will be waiting to ferry you to the fare grounds.

509 Harbourfront is operating from Union station, at intervals of every couple of minutes. Likewise, 511 Bathurst is operating from Bathurst station, using ALRVs and operating at similar frequencies. Both of these routes operate to the eastern entrance. From Dufferin and Wilson stations, 29 Dufferin buses will be running every few minutes taking passengers to the western entrance of the CNE grounds, and the TTC will again be operating the 193 Exhibition Rocket, running express between Dundas West station and the western entrance.

In related news, this may be the last year that 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront trudge along badly overused tracks on Fleet Street, but it seems that the track replacement and upgrade to private right-of-way planned for this October has been delayed until at least next spring. The problem, it seems, is that while the TTC was ready, Toronto Hydro and the City Works Department weren’t as on the ball. Steve Munro has further details. He is not amused.