Nov 15, 2010

North York Centre Subway

 North York Centre subway
station ((click to enlarge)
The North York Centre Subway Station is part of the Yonge-University-Spadina
line of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).  It is a beautifully constructed station that serves the North Central municipality of Toronto (formerly North York) and its civic workers as well as a host station for events in Mel Lastman Square and Toronto Centre for the Performing Arts. 

The Civic Centre / Entrance to Novotel Hotel
(click to enlarge)
The North York Centre is located off of Yonge street and between Sheppard to the south and Finch to the North. The Civic Centre (formerly North York City Hall)was once my work place before I had my children.  I worked for the City of North York with my husband.  He was in the Public Works department and I was in Public Health.  In 1998, North York City Hall was still a stunner of a building, made of brown brick and skylight windows overhead.  The departments were divided into multi-tiered layers and that theme played into the new Civic Centre as it appears today. 
The skylight windows brought in so much light in the daytime, limited electricity was used to light workspace.  Today, there is still a hint of the old structure, but a lot has been altered so its scarcely noticeable.

Located inside the Civic Centre is also the Toronto Central Public Library and is one of two in Toronto considered to be a research and reference library. 

Mel Lastman Square
(click to enlarge)
The Novatel Hotel is located inside the Civic Centre adjacent to the Toronto
Centre for the Performing Arts and has about 260 rooms averaging 150.00 a
night. 

Finally Mel Lastman Square is a gorgeous outdoor arena that hosts events year round.  It was named after our former beloved Mayor Mel Lastman who has since retired from political life, but his life is a blog in and of itself.

Mel Lastman Square includes 
personal signature (click to enlarge)

North York Centre subway station was built to answer the demands of the growing population of the City of Toronto to entice downtown core business
and communities to relocate uptown to release central congestion.  In the
last 10 years over 20,000 units of new housing have been approved, with over
16,000 of these presently built or under construction. 

Before a decade ago there was very little needed for a subway station between
Clockwise: Central Library, Novotel Lobby, 
Entrance to Library, Centre for the Perfroming 
Arts, Where am I?, Grand Lobby at the 
Civic Centre (click to enlarge)
Sheppard and Finch, however due to its current population growth North York Centre has proved to be a vital component in the Transit system of Toronto.