Yesterday, Sunday, March 27, federal, provincial and municipal officials gathered near Exhibition GO Station to formally launch the start of construction for the Ontario Line subway. The future subway will stretch through downtown Toronto and East York between Exhibition Place and Science Centre station on the TTC’s future Line 5 Eglinton (or as we currently know it — Metrolinx’s Crosstown light-rail transit line).

Metrolinx used the occasion of the launch event to release early renderings of the designs for 13 of the line 15 future stations. (The provincial transit agency did release renderings of a 14th station, Queen, but the drawings merely illustrate entrances to the TTC’s current station on Line 1 Yonge - University. The agency has not released renderings for the 15th station, East Harbour.)

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Metrolinx has published a post on the Metrolinx news blog, “Ontario Line subway project breaks ground at Exhibition Station - see the new renderings released”, by Sara Wilbur, Metrolinx communications senior advisor, subway program, and Scott Money, Metrolinx News editorial team. According to the post, “These initial station renderings show how planning and design teams are proposing to fit the project into the many communities it will serve. Whether it’s through high-quality station designs or carefully plotted out construction plans, communities are at the centre of decision making.”

The post quotes Malcolm MacKay, Metrolinx sponsor for the project, “These designs are early concepts - a starting point - that the future project partners will work from while following our design principles. They’ll help guide our conversations with communities about what’s possible from a design perspective as we advance plans.”

Exhibition Station

An Ontario government news release explains that “Upgrades at Exhibition Station will allow [GO Transit passengers] to continue to use the station during major construction for the Ontario Line. These upgrades include opening a new station entrance and exit from Atlantic Avenue, shifting the… GO rail track and creating a new train platform…”

In the news blog post, Metrolinx’s MacKay further comments, “When it’s done, Exhibition Station will be completely enclosed, bringing GO and Ontario Line services under one roof. It will also have fully accessible paths between the different lines and platforms, making it quick and easy to transfer between trains. The exciting work starting now is all about upgrading the existing Exhibition Station to keep people moving during major construction.

“Providing continued access to GO train services through new features like a temporary pedestrian bridge, new platforms, and new station entrances is critical for us. The temporary pedestrian bridge over the.. GO tracks will give people another way to access trains and to move between Liberty Village and Exhibition Place.

All images, Metrolinx

^ Aerial view of Exhibition Station beside the Frederick G. Gardiner Expressway, looking eastward.

^ Street-level view of Exhibition Station.

^ Exhibition Station and shared-corridor view from the Gardiner Expressway.

King - Bathurst Station

^ King - Bathurst Station will use the heritage structure on the south-east corner of King Street West and Bathurst Street as an entrance / exit structure. This view looks towards that structure from the north side of King West.

Queen - Spadina Station

^ Entrance / exit structure for Queen - Spadina Station on the southwest corner of Queen Street West and Spadina Avenue , looking southward along Spadina.

^ Entrance / exit structures for Queen - Spadina Station on the northeast and southwest corners of Queen West and Spadina, looking eastward along Queen. Southwest structure occupies a heritage building.

Osgoode Station

^ Entrance / exit structure for Osgoode Station in a heritage building on the southwest corner of Queen Street West and Simcoe Street.

^ Entrance / exit structure for Osgoode Station on the Osgoode Hall property on the northeast corner of Queen West and University Avenue.

Moss Park Station

^ Moss Park Station on the northwest corner of Queen Street East and Sherbourne Street, looking westward.

Corktown Station

^ Corktown Station on the southeast corner of King Street East and Berkeley Street, looking eastward.

Leslieville - Riverside Station

^ Leslieville - Riverside Station exit / entrance on the northeast corner of Queen Street East and De Grassi Street. This view looks northward along DeGrassi. Ontario Line trains operate at this site above-ground on the same level as GO Transit trains.

^ *Leslieville - Riverside Station exit / entrance and plaza on Queen Street East across from DeGrassi Street.

^ The Ontario Line trains cross Queen just east of DeGrassi at Leslieville - Riverside Station.

Gerrard Station

^ The Ontario Line continues to operate beside the GO Transit corridor at Gerrard Station. The station spans the intersection of Gerrard Street East and Carlaw Avenue. This view looks southward along Carlaw.

Pape Station

^ Entrance / exit structure for Pape Station on the north side of Danforth Avenue east of Pape Avenue.

Cosburn Station

^ Cosburn Station is on the northwest corner of Pape and Cosburn Avenues. This view looks westward along Carlaw toward the west side of Pape.

Thorncliffe Park Station

^ The Ontario Line proceeds along an elevated guideway through the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood. This view of Thorncliffe Park Station looks to the north side of Overlea Boulevard at Thorncliffe Park Drive [west].

^ Another view of the Thorncliffe Park Station from the south side of Overlea looking northward.

^ Yet another view of the Thorncliffe Park Station from the south side of Overlea.

Flemingdon Park Station

^ Flemingdon Park Station is also elevated. This view looks westward toward the station from the east side of Don Mills Road at Gateway Boulevard [north]. The station is in front of the Ontario Science Centre.

Science Centre Station

^ At Science Centre Station, on the northeast corner of Don Mills and Eglinton Avenue East, passengers can connect with the TTC’s Line 5 Eglinton trains.

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Attending the ground-breaking ceremony at Exhibition Place were:

• Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Minister of Transport;
• Ontario Premier Doug Ford;
• Caroline Mulroney, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation; and
• Toronto Mayor John Tory.