Oakwood
Primary entrance under construction in April 2023
General information
LocationEglinton Avenue / Oakwood Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates43°41′50″N 79°26′35″W / 43.69722°N 79.44306°W / 43.69722; -79.44306
PlatformsCentre platform
Tracks2
Connections TTC buses
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessibleYes
Other information
StatusUnder construction
History
Opening2024 (2024)[1]
Services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
Fairbank
towards Mount Dennis
 Eglinton
(opens 2024)
 Cedarvale
towards Kennedy

Oakwood is an underground light rail transit (LRT) station under construction on Line 5 Eglinton, a new line that is part of the Toronto subway system.[2] It will be located in the Little Jamaica neighbourhood[3] at the intersection of Oakwood Avenue and Eglinton Avenue.[4] It is scheduled to open in 2024.[1]

Local member of Provincial Parliament Mike Colle organized a petition in 2012 that led to a station at Oakwood being added to the Crosstown plan.[4][5] The main destination will be the Eglinton West commercial strip.

Description

2013 photo of storefronts that existed before the construction of Oakwood station

Both entrances replace existing storefronts; the main entry will be located directly at the northern end of Oakwood Avenue, serving as that street's terminating vista, while the secondary will be on the south side of Eglinton some 80 metres (260 ft) west between Oakwood Avenue and Times Road. The station will provide outdoor space to park 24 bicycles.[2]

Oakwood station has an art installation by Nicolas Pye displayed on the main station entrance façade consisting of a photograph of colourful pick-up sticks on a white background.[6][7] The work suggests the intersection of transit routes on a map as well as symbolizing cultural diversity in the neighbourhood.

Construction

Construction crane at site of main station entrance in 2017

The National Post reported that contractors who thought they were pumping grout into holes they had drilled had filled a sewer near Oakwood station with cement, shortly before Christmas 2013.[8][9] The report quoted local business leader Nick Alampi, who said, due to Metrolinx attitude, his section of the Avenue "almost feels like it's the wild, wild west." The report asserted the accident increased local displeasure with the construction period. Locals had initially been mystified when sewage had backed up into their basements.

In March 2015, the east–west laneway south of Eglinton, near the station, was named Reggae Lane.[10][11][12] Alampi credited the building of the station as a trigger to redeveloping the lane. The lane had once been the heart of Toronto's recording of Reggae music.

In June 2015, Metrolinx plans to expropriate a barbershop near the station triggered comment.[13] The owners, Maureen and Ian Young, told CBC News that Metrolinx had failed to contact them, prior to announcing the expropriation in a local paper.

Photo of a light rail station entrance under construction, close to fully completed. It is a low slung building in white with glass panelling and an orange accent.
Secondary entrance under construction

The secondary exit's location is the former site of a Popeyes fried chicken restaurant.

An overhead crane was assembled on the pile wall at the site of the station's main entrance. According to Metrolinx, this is the first time in Canada an overhead crane has been used over an open excavation. The site had no space to install a more typical tower crane or a luffing crane. The crane stands 12 metres (39 ft) tall and, when combined with its beams, weighs 73 tonnes (80 tons). It went into operation in mid-September 2017.[14]

By September 2021, Oakwood station was nearing completion, with track laid and electrical overhead catenary installed. The station was built by "mining" (meaning its excavation was done entirely underground) rather than cut-and-cover. Mining activities began in October 2017.[14] The mining excavation technique resulted in the finished station having a cylindrical shape.[15]

Surface connections

As of November 2023, the following are the proposed connecting routes that would serve this station when Line 5 Eglinton opens:[16]

Route Name Additional information
34 Eglinton Westbound to Mount Dennis station and eastbound to Kennedy station
63 Ossington Northbound to Cedarvale station and southbound to Liberty Village via Ossington station
90 Vaughan Northbound to Cedarvale station and southbound to St. Clair West station

References

  1. 1 2 Ranger, Michael (May 16, 2023). "Eglinton Crosstown won't open until 2024, construction group to take legal action: Metrolinx". CityNews. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "OakwoodStation". The Crosstown. October 13, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ Kalinowski, Tess (April 5, 2013). "Crosstown LRT: Eglinton's big dig ends 30-year wait for renewal". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 24, 2017. Folks are lined up out the door of Randy's, waiting to buy some of the best Jamaican patties in the city. This stretch of Eglinton Ave., near Oakwood, is where Rasta meets pasta in Toronto.
  4. 1 2 Gupta, Rahul (August 29, 2012). "Oakwood Avenue light rail station closer to reality". Inside Toronto. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. That's the contention of local city councillor Josh Colle, who believes provincial transit planning agency Metrolinx will eventually add an Oakwood stop to the station map for the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown LRT line scheduled for completion in 2020.
  5. ↑ Gupta, Rahul (October 26, 2012). "Modified LRT master agreement puts Oakwood station on the map: Colle". Inside Toronto. Archived from the original on October 29, 2012. Provincial Minister of Transportation Bob Chiarelli also indicated Friday in a tweet directed at Toronto Community News' TOinTransit and Colle that an Oakwood stop on the Crosstown LRT is confirmed.
  6. ↑ "Excitement builds as Eglinton LRT nears completion". YouTube. CityNews. March 22, 2022.
  7. ↑ "See the new art installations going up at Eglinton Crosstown LRT stations". Metrolinx. June 30, 2022. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Kuitenbrouwer, Peter (March 14, 2014). "'Wild west' in Eglinton LRT line construction after word Metrolinx punctured sewer line, pumped in cement". National Post. Retrieved August 16, 2015. Metrolinx has taken some time to acknowledge that its crews caused the sewer problem. Finally on Friday Metrolinx put a notice on its website: "Crews will be repairing a small section of City of Toronto sewer adjacent to the sidewalk on Eglinton Ave., west of Oakwood Ave. for several weeks." The work will begin Monday.
  9. ↑ "Immediate Sewer Repair on Eglinton at Oakwood". thecrosstown.ca. March 14, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  10. ↑ Ayukawa, Ryan (April 18, 2015). "Toronto laneway to become reggae hot spot (once again)". Blog TO. Retrieved August 16, 2015. Ward 15 City Councillor Josh Colle was instrumental in nominating "Reggae Lane" for an official title. Colle, who lived in the area, wanted to help recognize the rich history of Little Jamaica and the music of the '70s and '80s in the area.
  11. ↑ Kurek, Dominik (March 17, 2015). "Reggae Lane selected for improvement project". Inside Toronto. Retrieved August 16, 2015. The changes are coming with the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, which is scheduled to open in 2020. "With the coming changes to Eglinton with the LRT, potential buildings, condos, this is a space that should not be neglected, especially because it's literally no more than a footstep away from a main artery of Oakwood and Eglinton," Alampi said.
  12. ↑ Kurek, Dominik (June 2, 2015). "York community comes together to envision future of Reggae Lane". Inside Toronto. Retrieved August 16, 2015. He said the community needs Reggae Place, which could run along Eglinton from Marlee Avenue to Dufferin Street, and which would be a viable destination thanks to its proximity to the subway and access from the future underground Eglinton Crosstown LRT system.
  13. ↑ "Metrolinx expropriates Toronto family's Eglinton Ave. property: Ian Young said he was never contacted by Metrolinx, which says letters went unanswered". CBC News. June 2, 2015. Retrieved August 16, 2015. Metrolinx recently placed a notice of expropriation in a local newspaper, which is normally a last resort when the owners can't be located. The commercial property at 1565 Eglinton Ave. W., near Dufferin Street, is near the construction site for the Oakwood station of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
  14. 1 2 "Overhead crane at Oakwood Station". Metrolinx. October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Look inside unusual Oakwood Station on Crosstown light rail transit line". Metrolinx. September 13, 2021. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  16. ↑ "2024 Annual Service Plan" (PDF). Toronto Transit Commission. November 17, 2023. p. 106.
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