Toronto — From York to the Distillery District
Union Station and the Railway City
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
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Transcript
Toronto's current Union Station opened in stages in the 1920s, replacing earlier stations that served an expanding railway network.
Railways changed the city's scale. They moved grain, timber, manufactured goods, migrants and commuters, while creating a physical barrier between downtown and Lake Ontario.
The monumental Great Hall announces a city that expected movement to be civic theatre. Railway stations were not just infrastructure; they were front doors.
Look south toward the modern waterfront. Much of the land there is artificial, created by filling and reshaping the shoreline. Early York stood much closer to the lake.
Toronto has not only rebuilt its architecture. It has rebuilt its geography.