Yorkdale Subway Station

Yorkdale Subway Station

The Yorkdale Subway Station is on the Yonge – University – Spadina line of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It was opened in 1978 and serves about 24,000 people a day.  As you can guess most of them shoppers to the Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

At the south east corner of the lot, you can get connections to GO transit and Greyhound buses as well as Airport shuttles.  There are also 1144 parking spaces for your convenience.

Yorkdale Shopping Mall

The Yorkdale Shopping Centre is the 5^th largest mall in Canada and has over 260 stores, with over 7,000 parking spaces for shoppers and most of these spaces are full as there are over a half a million people who shop there a week!

There is also a Rainforest Café onsite which has a simulated thunderstorm every 30 minutes and is decorated with waterfalls and other depictions of the elements of the rainforest.  Their menu is chicken, pasta, pizzas and seafood and beef.  There is also a strange tradition of yelling "Volcano" when somebody orders a  volcano ice cream sundae.

Also onsite is the Silver City movie theatre (10 theatres in all)as well a large Indigo Bookstore.  In 2005 there was a 60 million dollar expansion put into the old Eaton’s store that once was there made room for 40 more stores.  Great time to get into the holiday spirit now and shop till you drop!

Personally, I like the quieter, less busy malls, but in Toronto there are enough choices to get out there.

Wilson Subway Station

Wilson Subway Station

The Wilson Subway station is on the Yonge – University – Spadina line of the toronto transit commission (TTC).  The station was opened in 1978 and serves about 21,000 people.

The Wilson station and surrounding land owned by the TTC is so vast, there are 4 parking lots,(totaling 2300 parking spaces), the Wilson yard and space used for retail stores.

Wilson Complex

The Wilson Subway and Bus Yard (known as the Wilson Complex) is the largest on the system.  This yard is utilized to service the cars on the Yonge University and Spadina line.  There is over 60 acres of yard and currently they are constructing a new training building to accommodate the new Toronto Rocket Trains.

Click here for an Aerial view Of Wilson Complex .  This will just to give you an idea of just how large this land area really is.

Runnymede Subway Station

Runnymede Subway - Chapters (former Theatre)

The Runnymede subway station is located on the Yonge / University / Spadina line of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).  It was opened in February 1968 and serves about 16,000 people a day.

Nearby the station is the Runnymede Theatre, which ceased to operate as a movie theatre in 1999, to become a Chapters Bookstore.

Historically, it was once a playhouse located in the Bloor West village, known popularly as the “Runny”.  It was built in 1927 by a company called Capitol (later known as Famous Players).

Gradually, after vaudeville died out, it was replaced with plays and live entertainment and eventually became a movie theatre in the late 1930’s.

There is a rumour that the theater was haunted by the ghost of a little girl who apparently died from a falling sandbag, but there is no historical evidence to back this up.

Lawrence West Subway Station

Lawrence West Subway Station

The Lawrence West station is located on the Yonge – University – Spadina line of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).  It was opened in February 1978 and serves about 20,000 people a day.

In 2008, Lawrence West was also reported as a “problem station” (see Lansdowne) but that has since changed.  Lawrence West station has bus lines that provide regular service to the Toronto Pearson International Airport (58 Malton) bus.

Lawrence Square Shopping Centre

Nearby the Lawrence Square Shopping Centre was packed today when we went to do some last minute shopping (and of course my photographs!)  It is one of Toronto’s largest malls.  Some big box store names are Canadian Tire, Zellers and Fortino’s.  This mall was once a Simpson’s warehouse back in the early 1980’s.  I do remember shopping there, but that had been since replaced by the current mall.

Eventually this mall will be replaced by more public housing and an extension of Marlee Avenue.  The retail outlets will then take the place of two nearby public schools that will be demolished.

Lansdowne Subway Station

Lansdowne station - inside and outside

The Lansdowne subway station is located on the Bloor / Danforth line of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).  It was opened to the public in 1966 and serves approximately 14,000 a day.

The Lansdowne subway station is located on Lansdowne Avenue just north of Bloor Street and is on the edge of the Bloordale Village strip.   

Lansdowne is considered a high risk station that requires attention from the Police vice squad...  especially around the area of the Coffee Time coffee shop across the street where there were obvious drug deals going on, prostitutes handing about and vandals.  In one month alone a few years ago, 94 people were changed with selling crack.  

Residents in the area are hopeful that 2 new police stations, # 11 and 14 divisions that will run along the railroad tracks west of Lansdowne, will serve as a deterrent to crime.   Having more police visible should reduce the drug and prostitution trade at Bloor and Lansdowne.    The TTC property on Lansdowne still remains empty as there is a legal dispute between GE and TTC over who should be doing the clean up of the soil so as of now the new police stations are still put on hold.