Know The History.

Change The Future.

2017

1985

The Toronto Transit Commission’s (“TTC”) Network 2011 Transportation Plan proposed a Sheppard Subway Line from Yonge Street to Victoria Park Avenue with the intention of later extending it to the Scarborough Town Centre. Metro Council approved the plan, but funding was not provided by the Provincial (Peterson) Government.

1992

Although Network 2011 was essentially on hold, construction of a new station extending the Spadina Line to Sheppard at Allen Road was already proceeding and construction was initiated. The station was envisioned as an extension of the Spadina Subway Line and as a potential western terminus station for a future Sheppard Subway. In an environmental assessment, the TTC’s Sheppard Subway identified the subway as the preferred mode for quality of service on Sheppard.

The Provincial (Rae) Government proposed 4 new Transit Lines – a truncated Sheppard Subway to Don Mills Road, an Eglinton West Subway to Black Creek Drive, the Extension of the Bloor-Danforth Subway to Scarborough Town Centre and the Extension of the Spadina line to York University.

1993

1994

Funding support for two of the Lines was subsequently approved by the Province and Metro Council; work started on both the Sheppard and the Eglinton West subway lines.

1995

The Provincial (Harris) Government cancelled the Eglinton West Subway, but construction of phase one of the Sheppard Line from Yonge Street to Don Mills Road continued.

1996

The Downsview Station (now Sheppard West) opened.

2002

The Sheppard Subway Line opened from Yonge Street to Don Mills.

2005

All three levels of Government agreed to fund the TTC extension of the Spadina Subway from Sheppard West Station north to the Vaughan City Centre at Highway 7 and Jane St. in the City of Vaughan.

2007

Then Mayor David Miller proposed his Transit City plan that included an LRT extension along Sheppard (instead of a subway) from Don Mills Road through to Meadowvale Road in east Scarborough.

2008

Construction on the Spadina Extension began.

2009

Funding for the Transit City LRT plan was secured from the Provincial and Federal Governments and detailed design and some construction was initiated – including the grade separation on Sheppard at the Agincourt GO Station.

2011

Mayor Rob Ford who campaigned against building LRTs and constructing subways instead.

2012

The decision to cancel the Sheppard East LRT was reversed by Toronto City Council, however, funding for the project was not resumed by the Provincial (McGuinty) Government.

2015

The Provincial (Wynne) Government announced that any funding for the Sheppard LRT would not resume at least until the Finch West LRT was completed.

The Spadina Extension was completed, extending the subway from Sheppard West to the Vaughan City Centre.

2019

In April, Premier Doug Ford announced that the Provincial Government was assuming responsibility for subway planning and development in Toronto, and initiated planning and development for four Priority lines, all of which are currently in various stages of construction (the Ontario Line, the Extension of the Yonge Subway into York Region, the Eglinton West LRT Extension, and the Bloor-Danforth Extension in Scarborough to McCowan/Sheppard).

At the same time, Premier Ford also announced the governments’ intention to proceed with the Sheppard Subway Line Extension, and that commitment has appeared in various government documents since, although without reference to any funding for planning or developing the Line. That commitment to Sheppard was prominent in the PC Party Platform in 2018 and in 2022. The general assumption being that funding and capacity to build the Sheppard subway extension would follow once funding for the four Priority Lines started to recede.

2023

In October, with limited notice and promotion, Metrolinx held three Open House Consultation meetings in the Sheppard Avenue corridor to kickstart the Business Case Analyses that will advance the TTC subway extension. Hundreds of local residents and stakeholders packed each meeting to voice their support for this critically important transit project. As subsequent Town Hall meetings hosted by three Scarborough MPP’s drew a large crowd that delivered a strong message to their elected representatives about the Sheppard Subway Extension – Just Get It Done!