Toronto’s Ontario Line construction is aiming to preserve the city’s architectural history while building the all-new subway line.
The entrance to the new Queen-Spadina station will incorporate a heritage building built in the early 1900s, using retention towers. This building has a red-brick exterior, stone columns, and ornate embellishments. Interior demolition include adding a shaft that descends 35 m (114 ft) below ground to connect with the underground subway tunnel.
Heritage preservation efforts are also underway at the future King-Bathurst station entrance building. Similar to the Queen-Spadina location, brick-by-brick salvaging will take place at the 663 King Street West building to ensure the heritage elements from it will be used for the subway line construction.
The Ontario Line is a 15.6 km (9.6 miles)-long subway line that will make it faster and easier to travel within Toronto and beyond. It is one of the ways Metrolinx will help meet the growing demand for transit and is expected to see nearly 400,000 commuters daily.
