After years of false starts, indecision re routes, and all the other consequences of being City Council’s favorite political football, the new Scarborough subway extension is underway.
Once upon a time, the extension was to only go to Scarborough Town Centre and was derided as the “One Stop Subway”. Now it seems to be three stops from the present Kennedy station with the end point being at McCowan and Sheppard. In true Metrolinx style, it seems like the last station is going to be called Sheppard East. Such imagination! … to have three stations called Sheppard! That seems to be the situation at present…. as for tomorrow’s situation? Who knows…..
In case you’ve never been to that intersection, let me show you what’s there…..
below: Looking west on Sheppard approaching McCowan with Metrolinx site on the right hand side. This construction site is very large and dominates the area.
below: One of the entrance gates to the Metrolinx construction site. Note all the stacked concrete sections that will form the tunnel walls.
below: This blue object is part of the equipment needed to move dirt brought to the surface by the Tunnel Boring Machine that is working underground (There is also a TBM working out in Rexdale on the Crosstown West).
It is a very big machine
below: Gate B
In general, the area south of Sheppard is residential while the area north of Sheppard is industrial or commercial. Canadian Tire is on the northwest corner.
below: Apartments on Sheppard (south side, east of McCowan)
below: Because of the angle from which this photo was taken, the exact locations are slightly unclear. The Medical Clinic is 4651 Sheppard East. To the west of that is a vacant lot that used to be a gas station and it is on the SE corner of McCowan and Sheppard; it is in the process of being redeveloped. The apartment building is actually on the SWt corner of McCowan and Sheppard.
below: looking east on Sheppard from McCowan
below: Walking McCowan north of Sheppard is partially impeded by a fence across the sidewalk…. but it is easily bypassed. Nugget Avenue is just beyond the fence.
below: Looking southeast from McCowan and Nugget where West Highland Creek branches. The large Metrolinx site fills the triangle formed by McCowan, West Highland Creek, and Sheppard Avenue. The white apartment building in the distance is on Sheppard Ave.
The creek’s concrete bed might make for easy management of the water flow but it makes for an ugly scene – unfriendly to both nature and people. There are parks north of here on both branches of the creek but here where most of the land use is industrial or commercial, little attention is paid to the esthetics.
below: Dufferin Concrete at Nugget and McCowan
below: Nugget Avenue crosses West Highland Creek. The plaza at 20 Nugget Ave, with the red and white stripes, was shut down (bought out) by Metrolinx. Apparently, the two-acre property is needed for an emergency exit and underground tail track for the future Sheppard East Station.
below: Spotted on a bulletin board at a bus shelter on Nugget (It’s a collection of bible verses).
below: Immediately north of Nugget Avenue are train tracks. This is the western edge of the large CPR Toronto Yard. If you are interested in this yard and some of the trains, I blogged about it previously (Around the marshaling yards – with love and peace).
below: North side of tracks along McCowan
as I walk Toronto 