Compiled by Jeffrey Kay
Historical map by John Calnan (click to view full PDF)

August 17, 1988

Service begins on this new special express bus route replacing the local 522 EXHIBITION WEST streetcar operating between Dundas West station on the BLOOR-DANFORTH SUBWAY and the western entrance to the Canadian National Exhibition at Dufferin Street.

This service operates only during a brief period during the end of August and up to Labour Day when the Canadian National Exhibition is in session. Initially, no route name or number is shown in the TTC “Rider News” issued in August 1988. After a few years, however, the established route running from Dundas West station via south and east on Dundas, south on Dufferin, east on Peel, south on Gladstone, west on Queen and south on Dufferin to the Exhibition West loop at Springhurst (buses return over the reverse routing) starts to appear on TTC maps. There are no intermediate stops on this route.

August 16, 1989

This route is now described in the TTC “Rider News” as “Exhibition West 93 Express”.

August 1995

For this year’s CNE only, the route is operated by streetcars following the old 522 EXHIBITION WEST service. This was because a large number of buses were required to operate the Spadina subway replacement service following the subway accident at Russell Hill on August 11, 1995, and the TTC were not sure when the subway would reopen.

November 23, 2002

As part of a new TTC marketing strategy, this is the last official day of the 93 EXHIBITION WEST EXPRESS service, even though buses had not been operating since Labour Day. In 2003, the service would operate as the 193 EXHIBITION ROCKET, as part of the TTC’s policy of renaming certain regular fare express services as “Rocket” routes.

93 Exhibition West Express Image Archive

The side rollsign exposure for the 93 EXHIBITION WEST EXPRESS bus, circa 1988. Image courtesy Joseph Chemerys of the Rollsign Gallery.