Category: Ontario

The revenge of SmartTrack
Map of John Tory’s SmartTrack proposal, his signature campaign plank from the 2014 municipal election

SmartTrack, the transit plan championed by former mayor John Tory in 2014, is the election promise that will never fully die, even if it was diminished from the promise of a brand-new 53-kilometre transit relief project to just a few new stations on existing GO Transit rail corridors. SmartTrack, as initially pitched, would have utilized existing rail and highway corridors to quickly build an express rapid transit line that would provide much-needed relief to the Yonge Subway line, foster development of the East Don Lands (former site of an Unilever soap factory), and connect downtown with employment lands in Markham and Mississauga. According to campaign materials, SmartTrack would have been built in just seven years.

Eleven years later, that relief is coming, but through other forms: the now under-construction Ontario Line, expansion of the Bloor-Yonge Subway station, and slow subway ridership recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in 2020-2021. The Mount Dennis-Airport Corporate Centre section, nearly impossible to build as a continuous passenger rail line, is now being built as a tunneled extension of the Eglinton-Crosstown LRT.

Over a decade later, the legacy of SmartTrack, along with other major changes for the GO Transit Kitchener Line, will affect both GO operations and UP Express, Toronto’s airport rail link, which will be asked to do more despite existing constraints. Without rigorous planning, transparency from Metrolinx, and stakeholder input, the potential of Toronto’s northwest corridor as a high-quality local and regional transit project is in doubt. With significant investment and proper planning, the Kitchener Line could serve as a shining example of how to get things right.

The diminished legacy of SmartTrack

It’s possible that three “SmartTrack” stations might be completed in 17 years

The idea of a “London-style surface rail subway” for Toronto was, and remains, a laudable goal for our existing GO Transit rail corridors; this was the concept behind the GO Expansion project touted just a few years ago that would truly transform the system into a high-quality urban rail network. It would not only serve suburban municipalities like Markham, Brampton, and Mississauga, but also improve travel times to the inner suburbs such as Agincourt and Rexdale.

What SmartTrack got wrong was relying on a flawed report that had very specific aims, poor public buy-in, and an arrogant, yet ineffectual proponent who nevertheless managed to win re-election, twice. (He might run again in 2026.) It didn’t help that SmartTrack was a municipal idea that was not coordinated with the provincial planning process; it never really got off the ground, even if municipal planning staff were charged with implementing the proposal. Ideally, the city should have just pushed hard to advance GO expansion on multiple corridors and for fare integration with the TTC.

Despite years of inaction, five SmartTrack stations remain on the books, to be funded largely by the City of Toronto. This was a curious arrangement as the provincial government has taken responsibility for the costs of all other GO Transit expansion projects, along with subway and LRT extensions. The five stations the city committed to were:
- St. Clair-Old Weston (Kitchener Line)
- King-Liberty (Kitchener Line)
- East Harbour (Lakeshore East/Stouffville, with a connection with the Ontario Line)
- Finch-Kennedy (Stouffville Line) and
- Bloor-Lansdowne (Barrie Line, not on the old SmartTrack map)
The King-Liberty and St. Clair-Old Weston stations, present in the original SmartTrack map, are on the inner portion of the busy Kitchener Line, which now hosts two-way, all-day service between Union and Bramalea Stations, as frequent as every 30 minutes weekdays. This section of track, known as the Weston Subdivision, also hosts UP Express (UPX) trains, which run every 15 minutes between Union and Pearson Airport, with stops at Bloor and Weston stations. It will also stop at Mount Dennis when that station opens in mid-November, connecting with the Crosstown LRT when that opens, likely in early 2026.

East Harbour Station, at the former Unilever Lands, will be an essential connection between GO trains, the Ontario Line, and TTC streetcars, providing transit access to a huge proposed mixed-use development, as well as the Portlands redevelopment to the south. It will be very well used once the Ontario Line opens.

Bloor-Lansdowne is a curious “SmartTrack” legacy station, as it was not on the original proposed route. Located just east of Bloor GO Station on the Kitchener Line, the two-platform station would serve Barrie Line trains, with a walking connection to the TTC’s Lansdowne Station two blocks to the east. (See my supplementary post highlighting this transfer.) Unlike King-Liberty and Finch-Kennedy stations, Bloor-Lansdowne is going ahead as construction had already started in 2024.

Bloor-Lansdowne Station is two blocks west of Lansdowne Station and a 7-10 minute walk to the subway, which runs north of Bloor Street. From 2023 City of Toronto report.

Bloor-Lansdowne probably should not have been advanced, especially when King-Liberty or even Finch-Kennedy would be more useful new stations.

St. Clair-Old Weston Station will still go ahead, even though pedestrian access and transfers to local transit lines will be less than ideal. Rail platforms will be accessed from Union Street, not directly from St. Clair Avenue, Keele Street, or Old Weston Road. Though TTC buses could be diverted to the planned bus loop, transfers to streetcars on the 512 St. Clair line will be awkward and unattractive to riders. (See my supplementary post that describes the challenges in more detail.)

St. Clair-Old Weston Station layout from 2023 City of Toronto report

King-Liberty Station, which would serve fast-growing Liberty Village, connect with 504 King streetcars, and be within walking distance of Exhibition Place, Parkdale, and the new Ontario Line, is now deferred despite the neighbourhood’s residential and employment density and its need for better transit links. Finch-Kennedy, in northern Scarborough, is also deferred. The city is hoping the province picks up the costs of those two stations.

Map of inner portion of GO Kitchener Line, UP Express, and connecting rapid transit lines

Woodbine GO Station (not to be confused with Woodbine subway station on Line 2), located on the Woodbine Racetrack lands, is now under construction. When complete, it will replace Etobicoke North Station, which only has one platform and cannot be easily expanded for a four-track mainline. There is the potential for a short extension of the soon-to-open Line 6 Finch West LRT to Woodbine from Humber College. Woodbine Station would serve both GO trains and UPX, allowing passengers from Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph to make an easy transfer to Pearson Airport. Woodbine would also be a logical transfer point between local GO trains to Bramalea and Mount Pleasant and express GO trains to Guelph and Kitchener.

With these decisions in mind, the challenge now will be figuring out how to serve the new Kitchener Line stations.

What is UP Express for, anyway?

UP Express and GO trains near Union Station

UP Express, for all its faults, is an example of what urban regional rail looks like. Trains are frequent – every 15 minutes – seven days a week, from early in the morning to late at night, with the last train leaving Union at 1:00 AM. Stations feature high-level boarding, ideal for quick and easy boarding, especially for those passengers with luggage, strollers, or using mobility devices. The only other comparable example in North America is Denver’s A-Line train, an electrified service which also makes multiple stop between the downtown core and the city’s international airport.

A 15-minute frequency is important as it is commonly cited as the minimum level of service for a “get up and go” level of transit convenience and attractiveness. Right now, the Kitchener Corridor has a base hourly service between Union and Bramalea seven days a week, with additional peak-direction express trains and 30 minute service during much of the weekday service period.

Because of its reliable and frequent service and affordable fares, UPX has become a victim of its own success, with many riders travelling between Union, Bloor, and Weston, rather than going all the way to and from the airport. This problem was especially evident when riders were left stranded after the end of game seven of the 2025 World Series. The last train left Union station completely full, not long after the game finished in extra innings.

Fares for riding UPX are quite reasonable. When UP Express was first launched, a one-way fare to the airport was $27.50. In 2016, that adult fare dropped to $12.00, today it is $12.35. Adult fares paid with a Presto card are discounted by $3.10. An adult fare between Weston and Union is just over $5. However, UPX despite being owned and operated by Metrolinx, has no fare integration with GO Transit, and it is not part of the provincial One Fare program that permits free transfers between GO, the TTC and other GTHA transit agencies. This is likely intended to minimize overcrowding, even though it limits the utility of UPX.

Another constraint is the UPX fleet and station size. All UPX stations are designed for three-car trains, as the service was designed to be a premium airport rail link, not an urban transit service. There are just 18 Nippon Sharyo DMU rail cars available for service, assembled into four 3-car trains, and two 2-car trains. The interior design is set up for a premium airport service, with rows of forward/backward facing individual seats and lots of luggage space.

These challenges will be exasperated with the addition of new stations at Mount Dennis and St. Clair-Old Weston. Furthermore, Metrolinx has requested that City of Toronto modify plans for the St. Clair-Old Weston (or SCOW) station to be UPX-only. According to an October 21, 2025 report to Council’s Executive Committee, “Metrolinx has indicated that this service change is required to maintain the 15-minute (or better) service frequency commitment made by Metrolinx for the SmartTrack Program, which can no longer be maintained by GO service.”

Despite Metrolinx building a fourth track on the Weston Subdivision that will extend to Pearson Junction (where the UPX tracks diverge towards the airport) from the Union Station Rail Corridor (hence the closures of the West Toronto Rail Path), it seems that it can not commit to operating 15-minute service for both GO and UPX service, which seems like a ridiculous state of affairs when this is common practice in Europe and Asia. This goes against the whole concept of GO Expansion, which promised to deliver fast, frequent, integrated GO service to most of its corridors.

2022 Metrolinx map depicting corridor improvements, electrification, and 15-minute service for the inner portions of the Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Stouffville, Barrie, and Kitchener lines.

2022 Metrolinx map showing the Kitchener Corridor with “corridor improvements and electrification” for the Toronto-Bramalea inner portion of the line, along with other construction projects between Bramalea and Kitchener.

Perhaps Metrolinx’s inability to conceive of GO becoming more than just a suburban commuter railway is why Deutsche Bahn pulled out of its contract with Metrolinx early in 2025. Since The Trillium’s June 2025 investigation, there has been little said about the collapse of GO Expansion. Communications and transparency have not been Metrolinx’s strong suit, especially in the last few years as Doug Ford’s PC government has tightened its control on all government communications.

So, if St. Clair-Old Weston is served only by UP Express, it will have to be completely rethought. It will not be able to offer an exclusive, 25-minute ride between Terminal 1 and Pearson Airport. That in itself is fine. A train taking 30 minutes to travel the same distance, with a few additional stops will work, provided that the trains have the capacity to serve both airport passengers and urban transit riders. Stations should be six cars long, then, with a new Union Station terminal, ideally under the main trainshed for easy connections to TTC, GO, and VIA Rail. GO Transit trains would then focus on suburban and regional travel between Toronto, Malton, Brampton, Guelph, and Kitchener, skipping most existing stops in the City of Toronto, part from Woodbine and perhaps Bloor.

But Metrolinx, the City, and the Province need to express their intentions openly and clearly so that we, the passengers and taxpayers, know what will happen, and that we will get the best transit possible. Let’s be smart about this.
November 4, 2025
Bloor-Lansdowne: A TTC-GO disconnection

Bloor-Lansdowne Station construction, November 2, 2025

Bloor-Lansdowne Station, one of five “SmartTrack” stations planned for existing GO Transit rail lines in the City of Toronto, is located just south of Bloor Street West on the GO Barrie Line, and south of the Davenport Diamond grade-separation. The purpose of this new two-platform GO station is to provide a new connection between GO trains and the TTC subway, similar to existing stations like Bloor/Dundas West, Danforth/Main Street, or Downsview Park. Unfortunately, it will not be an easy transfer.

The future Bloor-Lansdowne station entrance, 2025

Rendering of Bloor-Lansdowne Station entrance (from Metrolinx web page)

When GO Transit began operations on the Lakeshore Line in 1967, it was built on a shoestring, meant to be a three-year experiment to see if commuter rail would work in the growing Greater Toronto Area. Stations were built cheaply, with asphalt platforms with bus shelters, constructed on easily purchased land for suburban parking lots. At stations like Long Branch and Danforth, connections to TTC subways and streetcars were on-street; most connections would be made at Union Station. When the Georgetown (now Kitchener) Line opened in 1974, Bloor Station was accessed only by narrow stairways down to the sidewalk, with a 4-5 minute walk to Dundas West Station (a direct subway connection is finally nearing completion). Newer GO rail stations, like Kipling (1980-1981), Kennedy (GO platform opened 2005), and Downsview Park (2015), were built with direct intermodal connections, befitting GO’s increasing importance. When it opens on November 16, Mount Dennis GO/UP station will have a direct connection to the future Line 5 Crosstown LRT.

Though Lansdowne subway station is north of Bloor Street and two blocks to the east, the new GO station will be located entirely south of Bloor Street

But Bloor-Lansdowne, located next to a former Value Village, will feature a subway-train transfer worse than the current connection between Bloor GO and Dundas West subway station. It took me nearly 7 minutes to get from the Lansdowne subway platform to the planned main entrance below the rail overpasses, including waiting at the Bloor-Lansdowne intersection for a walk signal, and crossing an unsignalized intersection at St. Helens Avenue. (See video below.)

The construction of a new pedestrian overpass connected with the long-delayed Davenport Greenway will provide a slightly more pleasant walking path between the subway and GO train, avoiding a busy signalized intersection. But it will not reduce walking times or the amount of time without shelter from the elements.

Proposed Davenport Greenway

Granted, for some commuters, Bloor-Lansdowne will significantly reduce travel times, especially for those travelling between parts of York Region and western Toronto. But nearby Bloor Station on the GO Kitchener Line will have much better TTC connections and more frequent service with both GO and UP Express service and will be a much more attractive route towards Downtown Toronto. Compared to the benefits to riders on the 39/939 Finch East — the TTC’s busiest bus corridor — that Finch-Kennedy Station will offer, or the benefit of King-Liberty’s GO and UP Express service to riders in Liberty Village, Parkdale, and West Queen West with King-Liberty, Bloor-Lansdowne has limited ridership potential.

Back to The revenge of SmartTrack

November 4, 2025
Safer streets need more than just speed cameras

Dearbourne Boulevard, a four-lane collector street designated a community safety zone

Last week, while visiting Brampton, I came across one of the hundreds municipal speed enforcement cameras that Premier Doug Ford’s government wants to rip out across the province. The camera, on a four-lane collector street in Bramalea, is in a residential area, adjacent to several parks, including a pathway to a local public school, in an area designated a community safety zone. This is precisely the type of place that the government intended speed enforcement cameras would go when they were permitted under provincial legislation in 2019.

In a September 2025 government press release touting the move as “protecting taxpayers,” Ford, whose government was in power when these cameras were permitted, claimed that the program became “a cash grab;” supporting quotes included those from former Liberal leader and current Vaughan mayor Steven Del Duca, a representative of the province’s municipal police unions, and a spokesperson from the right-wing Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

If only there was a simple, effective way for taxpayers to avoid the so-called “cash grab.”

It was interesting who was not quoted in that press release, including doctors, educators, safety advocates, and even police brass. Ontario police chiefs support automated speed enforcement. It is also worth noting most municipalities support the cameras; Vaughan is one of only a few municipalities that recently rejected the road safety program; Del Duca was joined by just two other conservative-leaning mayors.

Of course, the arguments against the cameras, which in Toronto, were repeatedly vandalized or stolen, never held water. There were no tickets mailed out to drivers going just a few kilometres over the limit. Furthermore, speed enforcement was never a “cash grab” as the fines collected went to pay for the administration of the program, to “Vision Zero” works, such as the installation of speed cushions and improved pedestrian crossings, and to the province, which the collects the victim surcharges added to every Highway Traffic Act fine. The City of Brampton found that not only were the cameras effective in reducing speeds, they had the support of a majority of its residents.

Municipal speed camera

That said, while visiting Dearbourne Boulevard, I realized that speed enforcement cameras on their own are not effective in creating safer streets.

Dearbourne Boulevard serves one of the oldest parts of Bramalea, established in the early 1960s as a self-contained satellite town, where residents were expected to drive to most destinations. After amalgamation into the City of Brampton, traffic increased and more transit became available. Nearby, several newer high-rise apartment buildings were built, walking distance to Bramalea GO Station. A bus route, 16 Dearbourne, runs along the street, connecting the neighbourhood with several shopping plazas, the GO Station, and the transit hub adjacent to Bramalea City Centre.

Despite having low traffic and serving a residential area (an industrial area is just to the south, but it is inaccessible from Dearbourne), it is still a wide four lane street. The only traffic signal is at Bramalea Road; there are two all-way stops at Delamere Drive and Dorchester Road. At the east end of Dearbourne, the T-intersection with Balmoral Drive is controlled only be a stop sign, with two long and gentle right turn slip lanes. The speed limit is 50 km/h, and there are no speed cushions, curb extensions, or even painted buffers to indicated that drivers should go slower. In October 2022, a pedestrian was struck and seriously injured at one of the two all-way stop intersections; the driver fled the scene.

Though to its credit, the City of Brampton has been improving many suburban streets and roads to reduce speeds and promote walking and cycling. Charolais Drive, Vodden Street, Central Park Boulevard, and Vodden Road saw traffic lanes replaced by new cycling lanes, with little pushback from residents. Dearbourne Boulevard was also slated for improvements in 2021-2022, but that work was not yet started.

Central Park Boulevard, Howden Boulevard, and Vodden Street were among several four-lane collector roads tamed with new cycling infrastructure in the last five years, creating a new through east-west cycle route

Now, it might be too late. Not only will the speed camera be prohibited under a bill being rushed through the provincial legislature (going around the consultation process where concerned citizens, advocates, or safety experts could depute to MPPs), but another omnibus bill was just introduced, which if passed, would prohibit all Ontario municipalities from removing general traffic lanes to install cycling infrastructure, or even transit lanes and on-street patios.

Given the provincial government’s increasing hostility to anything that inconveniences drivers, be it road tolls, vehicle license renewal fees, automated speed enforcement, or bike lanes, it leaves municipalities fewer options to protect their most vulnerable road users and promote sustainable and healthy transport options. Though Doug Ford claims that alternatives like flashing lights and more signs would do the trick, they do not do much to deter aggressive and dangerous drivers, unlikely to get caught.

For streets like Dearbourne Boulevard, there are a few options. Lowering the speed limit to 40 km/h should be a first step. The redundant outer two lanes could be converted to parking-only spaces, with curb extensions and bollards at intersections. The slip lanes at Balmoral Drive should be ripped out.

Roads designed in the 1960s and 1970s for traffic that never really materialized need to be rethought, with or without Queen’s Park’s support.

October 29, 2025
Napanee’s precarious transit links

Deseronto Transit bus in Napanee, October 2025

A few weeks ago, I wrote about several new intercommunity transit services in Eastern Ontario. I went out to Brockville to ride River Route, which follows the St. Lawrence River between Brockville and Cardinal. I also noted the introduction of a new bus service between Kemptville and Ottawa, as well as services in Pembroke and Loyalist Township.

Unfortunately, another Eastern Ontario service, Deseronto Transit, will come to an end on November 28, 2025. Deseronto Transit is operated by the small town located on the Bay of Quinte between Belleville and Napanee; its single route runs between these three communities, while also stopping at Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and Shannonville.

Early in 2025, the Town of Deseronto moved to end service by December 1, 2025, citing increasing expenses and ageing equipment and the end of provincial grant funding. As Deseronto is a very small town, population 1,750, the continued operation of a regional bus service is especially challenging. Despite the planned closure of service, it is commendable that the town was willing to give it a go, connecting its residents to employment areas in Belleville, as well as medical, educational, and shopping destinations in both Napanee and Belleville.

Laying over at Deseronto Transit’s garage

At its peak, Deseronto Transit was able to average 12-15 passengers per trip, thanks largely to its schedule and route that operates to important destinations in Belleville including Quinte Mall, Belleville General Hospital, and an industrial park in the northeast part of that city. But with the wind-down, ridership has fallen; I was one of only two passengers headed west to Belleville from Napanee and Deseronto on Friday, October 17.

In Belleville, there are still connections to Prince Edward County (which introduced a summer weekend service in 2025) at the Downtown Terminal, and to Trenton via Quinte Transit at Loyalist College. There is also an informal on-demand service to various communities north of Belleville within Hastings County.

One of the challenges operating small inter-community services is that they need long-term, dedicated funding, rather than a one-time grant. They also need to be publicized better, with proper bus stop signage, integrated websites, and easy connections to local transit and other intercity services.

A smart provincial government would not only ensure that these connections are funded and maintained; it would help to better integrate, brand, and advertise inter-community services, touting their benefits to residents and visitors alike. It already does this in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GO Transit) and in Northern Ontario (Ontario Northland); there really should be more to ensure rural and small town connections are sustainable and sustained in Southern Ontario.

Why going to Napanee is so complicated

To get to Napanee and to take a ride on Deseronto Transit, I had to take the only weekday morning departure from Toronto: a Maple Bus trip from Yorkdale Station to a gas station drop off north of Highway 401 in Napanee. The town is also served by Megabus (on the Pearson Airport-Kingston Route) and two daily VIA Rail trains, but these all leave the city in the PM hours. Maple Bus, a new entry not yet added to my intercity map, operates several buses a day between the Toronto area and Ottawa, with stops at most cities and towns along Highway 401 between Oshawa and Brockville.

The main Toronto stop for Maple Bus and Flixbus is the passenger pick-up/drop-off area of Yorkdale Station, a curbside stopping zone under the Allen Road/Highway 401 ramps next to Yorkdale Subway Station. GO Transit, Megabus, and Ontario Northland use a nearby purpose-built bus terminal. Though the area is sheltered from rain by the overpasses, there is only one small bench to sit at. It is not a great place to wait for a bus, especially when it is nearly 40 minutes late, as my bus was.

Waiting under highway ramps at Yorkdale Station

At least the Maple Bus vehicle was comfortable. The bus assigned was a mid-sized body-on-truck-chassis coach, which sits 25 in comfortable bucket seats (I have rode in smaller, less comfortable vehicles before). However, it does not have a toilet on board, and food and beverages are not allowed to be consumed. There was a rest stop, where the driver also refueled, at Tyendinaga First Nation off Highway 401 between Belleville and Napanee. When we made this stop, we were only ten minutes from my destination.

Maple Bus vehicle, during a rest break/refueling stop at Tyendinaga First Nation near Belleville

The most challenging part was the walk from the Maple Bus stop at a Petro-Canada/A&W north of Highway 401 towards the town centre. Megabus stops across the street at a Flying J truck stop. Presumably, these bus stop locations are chosen because of their ease of access on and off the highway, and because the property operators are cooperative with the bus operators, but they make things difficult for anyone without a pre-arranged ride.

The Maple Bus route stops at a Petro-Canada north of Highway 401

Though there are signalized pedestrian crossings at Highway 41 and Community Road, next to the Flying J and Petro-Canada, complete with crosswalks and “beg” buttons, there are no sidewalks continuing in any direction. Many push-button panels still have their installation instructions visible, rather than a “push button to cross” message.

Instructions for beg button installation still visible on two panels in Napanee

A dirt path continues south where there should be a paved sidewalk. The Flying J truck stop is on the right.

My walk south into the town centre required a precarious crossing of Highway 401 in a dark underpass alongside four lanes of traffic with very little clearance, as seen in the video below. Just further south of the interchange, there was another squeeze point at a drainage culvert. In snow, ice, or wet conditions, this would be especially dangerous.

Navigating the walk along Highway 41 south towards Napanee

The VIA Rail station, located at a historic Grand Trunk Railway structure, is a short walking distance to Napanee’s downtown core, and to much of the populated urban centre. However, with a very limited train schedule and higher fares, many will still opt for the bus.

Napanee Railway Station

Unfortunately, the last-mile problem is common with intercity bus services, where bus stops are chosen out of convenience rather than passenger access and comfort, with distant truck stops favoured in places like Napanee, Chatham, and Cornwall. In major centres such as Toronto and Ottawa, carriers will choose more central, transit-accessible stops, but in smaller cities and rural areas, passengers are left on their own.

October 22, 2025
New transport links in Eastern Ontario

River Route, operated by Brockville Transit, serves several communities in Eastern Ontario

A few new transit services have come online in Eastern Ontario in the last few years. In Leeds and Grenville Counties, the River Route connects Brockville with Prescott and Cardinal. North Grenville, which includes the town of Kemptville, launched an intra-municipal on-demand service earlier this year, with a new Ottawa connection that started earlier in September.

The River Route connects with Brockville Transit in a big-box retail plaza, with timed transfers with local services to the nearby hospital, VIA Rail Station, and Brockville’s beautiful downtown core. The regular River Route fare is $5, though it includes an inbound free transfer to local Brockville Transit routes (though not the other way around). I recently travelled to Brockville and Prescott to check out the service, and I found it to be well used. Hugging the St. Lawrence River and passing through several historic towns, it might be Ontario’s most scenic regional bus route.

Downtown Brockville

The small city of Pembroke restored local public transit within the municipality, a weekday-only on-demand service. Unfortunately, Pembroke is only connected to neighbouring communities by a once-a-day Ontario Northland bus that runs between Sudbury and Ottawa.

Despite these improvements, vital connections remain missing. Commuter bus services from Ottawa to neighbouring towns such as Arnprior, Almonte, Carleton Place, and Rockland have not been restored; only Kemptville, Cassleman, and Russell/Embrun, have limited weekday service again, despite the federal, provincial, and municipal governments’ push to bring civil servants back to the office up to five days a week.

In Prescott & Russell Counties, experiments with fixed-route and on-demand transit have failed, though those came at a time when COVID-19 was still declared a public health emergency. The Town of Hawkesbury, population 10,194, is the second-largest urbanized municipality in Ontario without any inter-community transport links. (The largest is Tillsonburg, which lost its connection to Woodstock earlier this year.)

I have made updates to my intercity transportation map to include these changes: I also added a missing service in the Lachute, Quebec region. If there any further changes that I have missed, please contact me.

September 23, 2025
The end of the line at Porcupine

The end of the line for the restored Northlander train

Timmins, a resource town of 40,000 in Northeastern Ontario, is known for a few things: gold mines, beer parlours, the birthplace of country musician Shania Twain, and the place where folk musician Stompin’ Tom Connors got his start. If Connors — a travelling musician who delighted small town crowds with songs about their communities (like the hard working and hard drinking times of a “Sudbury Saturday Night”) — was still around, he’d probably write and perform a new song about getting kicked off an overnight train in the sparse environs of Porcupine, Ontario. After all, the song would quickly rhyme itself.

Porcupine is a small community of about 1,000 on the far eastern edge of the populated area in the geographically gigantic City of Timmins. Before the wave of municipal amalgamations across Ontario in the 1990s and early 2000s, Timmins was the largest city or town in the province by geographic area; it was formed through the amalgamation of the smaller City of Timmins with adjoining Mountjoy and Tisdale Townships (along with the town of South Porcupine) in the 1970s.

Until 1990, when the devastating cuts to VIA Rail took place, there were two daily trains between Toronto, North Bay, and Northeastern Ontario. The Northlander, a daytime train operated by Ontario Northland Railway, terminated at a downtown station in Timmins. The Northland, a joint VIA/ONR train, ran overnight between Kapuskasing and Toronto, with a bus connection to downtown Timmins. Famously, for a short period the daytime Northlander operated using former Trans-Europ-Express (TEE) cars, purchased used from Dutch and Swiss rail operators.

Northbound Northlander TEE set at St. Clair Avenue in Toronto, by HardHatMak on Flickr

After 1990, Timmins was only connected by bus, with one daily bus to North Bay (and onwards to Toronto), and one bus, six days a week, to Sudbury (with connections to Toronto). The new daily overnight train — discussed earlier on this site — promises to restore a new daily trip, along with a more comfortable journey, even if sleeping accommodations will not be provided.

The Timmins Station is now a bus terminal serving local transit and Ontario Northland intercity coaches

Unfortunately, the train will not be returning to Downtown Timmins. The end of rail is at Highway 101 at Porcupine, 13 kilometres to the east. Since abandonment of the passenger rail service, the railway was torn out west of South Porcupine; the railway overpass over Algonquin Boulevard (Highway 101) near the old Timmins Station was removed last year. Ore collected at the open-pit gold mines, previously loaded onto railcars, is now sent on massive dump trucks for processing at a plant at Hoyle, east of Porcupine.

The Northlander train departs Timmins on the now-demolished railway bridge over Algonquin Boulevard in the early 1980s

Happily, the Timmins station building remains in use as a transit terminal and Ontario Northland coach stop; it will likely serve a bus shuttle to the new Timmins-Porcupine Station now under construction.

The end of track at Highway 101 in Porcupine; construction has started on the new terminal station for the Northlander

Since I last wrote about the promised return of the Northlander, there have been a few updates. The new station building will be somewhat more substantial than first proposed; it will include washrooms, a waiting area, and a service counter for ticket sales and bus parcels. This is welcome, as there is very little around the Porcupine station site. Nearby, there are only a few dozen houses, a propane depot, a small park, and a gas station across the street.

Rendering of new Timmins-Porcupine Station

Most other stations will still just get enclosed shelters, though at Matheson, Swastika, New Liskeard, and Temagami, the construction of new platforms is well underway. Even though there are heritage passenger stations at Matheson (which just escaped demolition), Temagami, South River, Huntsville, and Gravenhurst, there will just be shelters for Northlander passengers at these stops. Shelters depicted on the Ontario Northland website resemble those at BRT stops or GO Transit station platforms, with lighting and overhead heat.

Fencing protects the construction of a new platform beside the handsome Temagami ONR Station. The station building will not be used for passenger services; it currently hosts a café and gift shop.

Rendering of passenger shelter for Northlander stops

It will be nice to see the return of passenger rail to Northeastern Ontario when it launches in two years. Unfortunately, I remain unsure whether it will attract enough riders to be seen as viable after a year or two of service.

August 25, 2025
Why Wasaga Beach needs to be open to all

In late July, online news outlet PressProgress reported on the provincial government’s plans to divest itself of 60 percent of the beach areas of Wasaga Beach Provincial Park, transferring the waterfront lands to the Town of Wasaga Beach. This report raised a number of concerns, including environmental issues (the beach is an important habitat for the piping plover, an endangered species of shorebird which breeds on sandy shorelines), as well as continued public access to the world’s longest freshwater beach. By amending legislation to transfer these lands from provincial to local control without future votes in the legislature, future provincial park lands could also be sold off to municipalities or to the private sector.

Wasaga Beach Provincial Park and proposed areas for removal and transfer to the municipality

For its part, the province claims that this will only be a one-time transfer, intended entirely to promote economic development in Wasaga Beach and Simcoe County. It is also providing money to redevelop existing commercial areas, partially destroyed by arson in 2007, and rebuilding a road that borders the beach.

Sign touting provincial funding for Wasaga Beach’s beachfront redevelopment

Amending the Act to permit the divestment of protected lands is a bad precedent, though arguably it was already set by the privatization of much of Ontario Place for the troubled Therme spa development. The closed Ontario Science Centre grounds remain in limbo as well.

As Shawn Micallef recently pointed out in the Toronto Star, much of Ontario’s prime lakefronts are privatized or purposely made inaccessible to outside residents — not just the popular Muskoka Lakes, but also much of the Great Lakes shores, such as in Tiny Township near Midland. The big, popular, beach areas are worth preserving and expanding, not only to meet current demand, but also provide sustainable and affordable getaways for a growing population in Southern Ontario.

The beautiful sand at Wasaga Beach Provincial Park on Thursday, August 14

That demand for summer lake access brings up another challenge — how to get people to and from beach destinations. In Toronto, the lineups for the Island ferries are notorious in the summer. The compound where ferry-goers are forced to wait only adds to the inhospitable atmosphere, though temporary shade structures were added for 2025. The beach at Ontario Place, one of the cleanest on Lake Ontario, has been closed off for the controversial Therme spa construction.

For those living in Toronto’s suburbs, or anyone looking to avoid the downtown congestion, to get to a good beach will probably mean a road trip to somewhere like Wasaga Beach, Sauble Beach, Grand Bend, Port Dover, Long Point, or Prince Edward County. Many of these places are completely inaccessible without a car, or at best, have limited bus options. Furthermore, even where there is a transit link, the best beach areas are nowhere near where the bus or train makes its stops. Even though Brampton is a straight shot up Airport Road to Georgian Bay, driving is the only reasonable way to get to Wasaga Beach (as I will get into in the second half of this post).

Right now, Wasaga Beach and Collingwood – a four-season resort town – are connected to Toronto, Barrie, and elsewhere only by two-lane roads: Highway 26, Airport Road, and Sunnidale Road. These roads are often congested with both visitors and with regular traffic. Highway 400 up to Barrie is already being widened, but it too will face additional traffic from population growth in Simcoe County and additional leisure travel.

If Wasaga Beach goes ahead and develops transferred provincial parklands for more intensive economic development, it will have to contend with these transportation challenges. That will mean wider roads and new highways, improved transit links, or both.

Local and regional buses behind a Loblaws superstore parking lot in Wasaga Beach

The way to Wasaga

There are currently two ways of getting to Wasaga Beach without a personal vehicle or a taxi ride.

There is one daily Flixbus coach trip from Downtown Toronto and Pearson Airport to Wasaga Beach, continuing onwards to Collingwood, Owen Sound, and Port Elgin. Northbound, the bus leaves Union Station Bus Terminal at 7:30 in the morning and arrives in Wasaga Beach at 10:00. The return bus leaves Wasaga Beach at 4:20 PM and arrives at Union Station at 6:50 PM, though traffic conditions can certainly impact those times. This bus is often nearly or completely sold out.

Flixbus loads in front of an Esso gas station on Mosley Street at 45th Street

A cheaper and more frequent option is Simcoe County Linx, a regional bus service provided by the County of Simcoe. Linx Route 2, which connects Wasaga Beach to Allandale Waterfront GO Station, connects with GO buses and trains as well as local Barrie Transit buses. Unfortunately, the Simcoe County Linx system has limited service hours, and routes do not necessarily connect with each other. The last buses on Route 2 leave Wasaga Beach and Barrie at 6:30 PM, and there is no weekend or holiday service. (The sole exception is Linx Route 4, which runs between Collingwood and Wasaga Beach seven days a week.)

Both Flixbus and Simcoe County Linx stop on the west side of town, seven kilometres from the main tourist area at Beach Area 1. There are two Wasaga Beach Transit routes connecting these two points, but service is every 60-90 minutes. The limited bus options, combined with a lengthy transfer to get to the main beach areas, makes for an unpleasant trip. The early shutdown of Simcoe County Linx limits the time one can spend in Wasaga Beach, especially if it means a local bus transfer back to the west end of the town.

Wasaga Beach Transit minibus, decorated with vinyl wrap and stand-up paddleboards affixed to the roof

From Brampton or Mississauga, travellers must get to either Union Station or Pearson Airport to get the direct Flixbus service or get to the Barrie GO Corridor in order to make the transfer to Simcoe Linx. If there was only a direct bus up Airport Road from Peel Region, Wasaga Beach would be more accessible to another 1.5 million residents.

Furthermore, the only connections to Wasaga Beach are via Airport Road from the south and via Highway 26, a mostly two-lane highway between Barrie and Owen Sound. Wasaga Beach has never had rail access, and the former Barrie-Collingwood Railway through Stayner has been torn up. Both roads are increasingly congested due to both tourist travel and regular commuter traffic; the towns of Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, and Stayner are all growing with new residential subdivisions. Costco is constructing a new retail warehouse at Mosley Street and Highway 26 on the Wasaga Beach’s west side.

This is not just a Wasaga Beach problem. Access to most of Ontario’s other great beaches and resort towns is even more limited. Prince Edward County has a weekday-only bus service between Belleville, Bloomfield, and Picton, but it does not serve Wellington (home of the Drake Devonshire Hotel) or Sandbanks Provincial Park. Port Dover only has a weekday-only on-demand transit service accessible from Simcoe; Sauble Beach is only served by the same Flixbus route that runs through Wasaga Beach. At least Huron Shores Area Transit provides daily service to Grand Bend from both Sarnia and London.

Port Stanley used to have regular electric train service from London — where the municipality owned the railway — until 1956. Even though bus services took over from the L&PS, the only way to get there these days is to drive.

Though several Ontario cities have good urban beaches, accessible by transit — Ottawa’s Britannia Beach and Petrie Island, Hamilton Beach, and Toronto’s many beaches certainly count — there really should be better access for all to the great summer destinations like Wasaga Beach. That not only means protecting the land for public use and environmental preservation, but it also means providing accessible, sustainable, and equitable access by bus and rail. As Wasaga Beach and Collingwood seek to grow their populations and their economy, more transit is needed to connect residents to those additional jobs.

To start, Simcoe County Linx should operate Route 2 evenings and weekends. In the longer term, Simcoe County, its constituent towns, and the cities of Barrie and Orillia should merge their transit systems, focusing on fare integration and facilitating easier transfers between its routes and with GO Transit. There is also room for more intercity bus services between the Greater Toronto Area — particularly Mississauga and Brampton — with Wasaga Beach and Collingwood, offering more capacity and faster, more direct options. On my way home on Thursday, August 14, it took me over four hours to get back to Toronto Union Station via Simcoe County Linx and GO Transit buses; driving takes less than half that time, even with traffic.

Wasaga Beach is a treasure of provincial significance. It deserves to remain owned by the public and fully open to all, with better access to those who can’t or don’t want to drive.

August 21, 2025
Buses to the big box

Timmins Transit bus headed west from downtown to Wal-Mart

Last month, I found myself intrigued by American transit consultant Jarrett Walker’s observations about the difficulties of getting to Walmart stores by public transit in US cities. On Bluesky, Walker examined the long walks through hostile environments between Walmart stores and the nearest bus stops, and it is an interesting thread.

In many US cities, Walmarts are often some of the busiest transit destinations.Here is the typical relationship between a Walmart (far right) and its nearest bus stop (far left).Note the details of the pedestrian experience between one and the other. 1/🧵
— Jarrett Walker (@humantransit.bsky.social) 2025-07-19T18:33:32.331Z

Jarrett Walker’s BlueSky thread on US Walmart locations

In response, I noted the more typical experience in midsized Ontario cities. Though American and Canadian land use policies are similar in many ways, complete with the post-1990s proliferation of “big box” retail developments, there are some significant differences. For example, local transit systems will often make an effort to serve big box retail clusters, particularly Walmart stores.

This is something we do a bit better here in Canada. Below are Google Map screenshots of four Walmarts in small Ontario cities.
— Sean Marshall (@seanyyz.bsky.social) 2025-07-19T18:48:29.558Z

BlueSky post that shows Walmart stores and bus stops in four small Ontario cities: Orillia, St. Thomas, Belleville, and Brockville

Walmart stores are important to transit riders, especially in smaller urban centres that have few or no other major shopping centres. Most Walmart stores now have an in-store pharmacy, carry a full selection of groceries, and have ancillary services, such as medical clinics, haircutters, and opticians. Walmart itself will typically anchor a larger commercial development with other big-box retailers such as Home Depot or Canadian Tire. These commercial developments and surrounding areas will have up to have several hundred employees, some of which may also rely on transit.

From the 1960s to the early 2000s, regional shopping malls were often major transit hubs in mid-sized cities and suburban municipalities in Canada, typically located in space set aside in the mall parking lot. For the most part, Canadian commercial landlords were willing to provide the space; in some cases, the terminal was even right outside one of the main entrances.

In my hometown of Brampton, for example, two of the three major transit terminals were Bramalea City Centre and Shoppers World. Mississauga’s main transit hub is at Square One mall; Hamilton has large bus loops at Limeridge and Eastgate malls, and London has transit hubs at Masonville Place and White Oaks Mall. Smaller cities and towns such as Belleville, Orillia, and Peterborough would also be sure to serve the local shopping mall with at least one route stopping on the mall property, typically in a space set aside on a mall driveway.

Sometimes, these mall terminals become too small or too difficult for buses to get in and out of. Brampton Transit grew, the Shoppers World and Bramalea City Centre terminals were moved to larger facilities off-site with better road access, but still close to the malls. In smaller cities, where the importance of enclosed shopping malls (anchored by traditional retailers such as Sears Canada, Zellers, and Hudson Bay) declined in favour of big-box retail, often located on the urban outskirts, the buses followed where their passengers needed to go.

St. Thomas (Railway City Transit) and Middlesex County Connect minibuses wait for passengers in front of Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore

In St. Thomas, a small city of about 45,000 people, the main transfer point is in front of the Walmart store parking lot, meaning that every bus rider gets a one-seat ride to the SmartCentres-managed property, which also includes a Loblaws grocery store, Canadian Tire, and over a dozen smaller stores, restaurants, and banks. The recent relocation of the transit hub from a struggling downtown to the big box centre to the west — which is actually closer to the city’s geographic centre — makes sense. It now also serves as the transfer point to the regional bus service to London.

In Brockville, another small city in Eastern Ontario, the two transfer points are in the downtown and at “Box Stores Transfer” in the northeastern corner of the municipality. The latter is also the transfer point to the inter-municipal River Route to Prescott and Cardinal. In other smaller Ontario cities, including Belleville, Chatham, Orillia, Sarnia, and Timmins, there is at least one bus route extending to the end of the urbanized area to serve the Walmart and/or other large big box retailers. Often the stop will simply be called “Walmart” or “SmartCentres.”

Sometimes, larger cities will have transit terminals in the middle of big box parking lots. On the south end of Sudbury, GOVA’s Route 1 Mainline terminates in front of a Walmart parking lot, with connections to three local feeder routes. A similar set up can be found in the north end of Guelph. In Waterloo, a large big box complex on the edge of the region’s urban boundary, Boardwalk, was designed with a central transit hub.

Though the examples here are all Ontario examples, the pattern generally holds across Canada, from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Nanaimo, British Columbia, though there are many exceptions. It also helps that many Canadian Walmart stores are located in shopping malls as they are in renovated and/or expanded former Woolco or Zellers stores.

Despite these attempts to provide transit services to retailers like Walmart, these are not ideal set ups. Shopping malls were designed as pedestrian environments within large parking lots. As long as there is a convenient, safe, and short walkway to the mall entrance, transit riders could be well-served. This is much harder with contemporary big box retail, as they are designed completely different. With malls, parking lots surround a cluster of stores. Most big box developments have the stores surround gigantic parking lots. Even if walkways and bus facilities were included in the site plan, there are still long, unsheltered walks between the bus stops and store entrances.

Trinity Common Shopping Centre at Highway 410 and Bovaird in Brampton. The red lines mark where the buses stop.

An early attempt to create a more transit and pedestrian site plan in a big box centre was Trinity Common in Brampton, which opened in stages in the early 2000s. There were distinct roadways, complete with sidewalks and street lighting; in the centre, surrounded by restaurant pads, were several bus bays and a transit terminal office. Several busy Brampton Transit bus routes converge here rather than simply stop on the adjoining multi-use roadways. Even so, the distances between retailers — which include Canadian Tire, a Metro supermarket, Home Depot and Brampton’s only multiplex cinema — make walking unpleasant.

But at least, unlike the American examples Jarrett Walker highlighted, there’s an attempt at doing better. Hopefully, the next generation of retail centres — mixed use developments with residential uses on upper levels — do better with incorporating the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users.

August 13, 2025
BRT comes to London

BRT median under construction on Wellington Street at South Street, London

The City of London, Ontario has been quietly constructing a new bus rapid transit (BRT) system over the last few years, which will extend south and east of the downtown core. By the end of April 2025, the first major section of this network will begin operation.

The Wellington Road and Fanshawe College segments are two of the four rapid transit routes originally proposed under London’s SHIFT. At first, a north-to-east line, connecting Masonville Place Mall, Western University, Downtown London, and Fanshawe College, was to be a light rail corridor, featuring a short tunnel under Richmond Street to avoid a busy freight railway crossing. A BRT line would have connected the west end of London, at Oxford Street and Wonderland Road, continued downtown, and head south towards the Victoria Hospital campus and White Oaks Mall near Highway 401. The map below shows the initial proposal.

The original rapid transit proposal called for a light rail (orange route) connecting Western University, downtown, and Fanshawe College and a BRT (blue) corridor to the west and south of downtown

Due to budget constraints, the project was revised to a BRT-only scheme. The Richmond Street leg, leading north to Western University, was cut when the bus tunnel under the CPKC railway and the Oxford Street intersection was deemed to cost $220 million in 2017. Business owners along Richmond Street, a busy restaurant, nightlife, and shopping district known as Richmond Row, were also opposed to the reduction in traffic lanes that the transit tunnel would have required.

This section of Richmond Street — used by eight London Transit routes — is a severe bottleneck as it is not only a busy traffic corridor, it crosses CPKC’s mainline connecting Toronto, Windsor, and the US Midwest.

Several buses cross the CPKC tracks on Richmond Street north of Downtown London

The pared-down BRT project consists of a curbside bus-only lane encircling the downtown core, following King Street, Wellington Street, Queen’s Avenue, and Ridout Street. At each turn, buses must wait for a dedicated signal to make the left turn to continue on the loop. Right now, buses do not have any signal priority, and can wait a full light cycle (up to two minutes) to get the dedicated left turn signal.

Example of a left turn from the right curb lane in London. The dedicated transit signals allow left-turning buses to remain in the right lane without traffic conflicts.

New enlarged shelters and long platforms allow multiple buses to pick up and drop off at each stop; most routes heading through downtown will serve at least one of these new bus stops on their routes. All buses were removed from Dundas Street, which has been re-landscaped to create a more pedestrian-friendly commercial environment called Dundas Place.

New enlarged bus shelters along the BRT corridors; this is at Wellington and King Streets

On April 28, Route 94, a weekday express route between Argyle Mall in London’s east end, Downtown London, and Western University, will begin operating in both directions on King Street, and will be the first route using the bus infrastructure outside the downtown loop. King Street was originally a one-way, two-lane-wide roadway east of Downtown London, but was recently widened to allow for painted bus lanes in both directions.

Contraflow bus lane on King Street, previously a two-lane, one-way street

Work is far from complete. Utility work and road reconstruction continues on Dundas east of Ontario Street (at the Western Fairgrounds) and on Highbury Avenue north to Oxford. Construction of the BRT median on Wellington Street/Wellington Road south is also ongoing.

Looking south on Wellington Street at the South Thames River bridge crossing, which is being widened as part of the BRT project

The cost of the BRT project has risen to at least $454 million, and that does not include the north or west segments. Service levels have yet to be determined, along with transit route restructuring once the east and south segments are complete. The new station shelters will not have off-board fare payment equipment, so unless policy changes, all transit riders will still have to enter the bus from the front door.

Concept rendering of Wellington Road with new BRT median lanes near White Oaks Mall

Entering and leaving downtown along Wellington Street, south BRT buses will still have to squeeze through an older four-lane railway underpass in mixed traffic, limiting bus throughput. The lack of a northern segment between Downtown, Western University, and Masonville Place Mall is another major downfall.

Bottlenecks, like Richmond Street North, will limit how fast and how attractive transit will be to prospective riders

Though it is hoped that London’s Rapid Transit project will help shape development — much in the same way Waterloo Region’s Ion LRT has — the cost-cutting will limit this potential. The Wellington Road BRT median might help improve bus reliability along a congested traffic corridor, but the lack of signal priority — plus the railway underpass bottleneck — will not help. Western University students will still have to endure a slow ride north from downtown, reducing the attractiveness of Wellington Street, currently littered with big-box stores and strip plazas, as a place to build up with private mixed-use development. Perhaps the eastern segment on King and Dundas Streets, serving the regenerating Old East Village neighbourhood, will be more successful.

April 23, 2025
Intercity map updates for April 2025

New GO Transit bus stop on Chiefswood Road at Six Nations

As we enter Spring 2025, there are a few significant changes in Ontario’s intercity transportation services. A new daily GO Transit route will now connect Six Nations and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation with Brantford, Hamilton, and Greater Toronto. A new seasonal Waterloo-Burlington weekend express could foreshadow more direct service between Kitchener/Waterloo and Hamilton in the future. Flixbus moved its Ottawa terminal stop to the VIA Rail station, joining Ontario Northland and Orleans Express.

However, there are also some cuts, triggered by the end of the Ontario Intercommunity Transportation Grants. Grey County will terminate all GTR services with the exception of Route 1 between Dundalk, Shelburne, and Orangeville. T:GO is ending its intercommunity services outside of Tillsonburg, including routes that connect with Woodstock and London. PC Connect is cutting its rural route that serves places like Mitchell and Milverton (though routes connecting Listowel, Stratford, and St. Marys to Kitchener/Waterloo and London will continue).

Unfortunately, T:GO will end all intercommunity bus routes outside of Tillsonburg, including the link to Woodstock

Recently, I provided my expertise mapping Canada’s intercity transit links to Transport Canada, which allowed me to enhance and update the interactive map. I am also working with Transport Action Canada to support their efforts advocating improved intercity transport across the country.

I will be retiring my older Ontario and Canada intercity maps; a new version of my Canada Intercity Map for 2025 can be found here. I will make all updates to a single map for now on. The new map depicts discontinued bus routes, shown in light grey.

Preview of the new Canada Intercity Transport Map

As always, please contact me with feedback, corrections, or updates. It is a challenge continually maintaining a Canada-wide map given how frequently things change.

March 30, 2025