Province breaks ground on Ontario Line's Pape Station

Some residents in Toronto's east end say construction-related impacts and affordable housing are top of mind as the province breaks ground on the Ontario Line Pape Station.

At a news conference Tuesday, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the station will connect commuters on the Ontario Line with the TTC's Line 2 Bloor-Danforth station.

It will eventually see more than 9,000 transfers during the morning rush hour alone and help reduce crowding on other subway lines by 15 to 20 per cent, the province said in a news release on Tuesday.

"The Ontario Line Pape Station will be a critical interchange for commuters by cutting some travel times by more than half and helping reduce gridlock for drivers across the city," the release quoted Sarkaria as saying. 

Construction on the 15.6-kilometre subway line began in December 2021 and is expected to be complete in 2031.

The subway route will begin near Ontario Place, south of Exhibition Place, move through the downtown core and end at the now-defunct Ontario Science Centre in North York, with a total of 15 station stops.

Concerns over 'construction-related impacts'

Coun. Paula Fletcher, who represents Ward 14 Toronto—Danforth, said she has heard concerns from residents in the area about the construction work.

"While everyone supports great new transit, local businesses and residents are calling for steps to better manage and communicate construction-related impacts along with increased affordable housing for the planned provincial 'Transit Oriented Communities' developments," Fletcher said in a statement Tuesday.

But Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow touted the new station, saying the stop will help connect more communities to rapid transit.

"It will help more people access employment and local businesses, as well as commute to work or school. More public transit means more opportunities and less congestion. I look forward to the progress at Pape and beyond," Chow said in a statement Tuesday.

The Ontario Line will eventually connect to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, though Metrolinx has yet to release a timeframe for when the interminably delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT might open.

Phil Verster, Metrolinx CEO and president, said the groundbreaking "marks progress toward bringing much-needed relief to the downtown transit network."