junctionist said:
There are many great Beaux Arts railway stations in North America called Union Station. I'd like a name that helps ours stand out in the crowd more and to honour a great Canadian as the country's leading city should. It's a matter of civic improvement and national representation.
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Like the highway we have called Macdonald-cartier freeway? When was the last time you heard someone say I am on the macdonal cartier freeway? Its the 401. No matter if you were to change Union Station name, thats what people would call it. Its had that name for almost 90 years. Is that not historical in itself? Why can't these councillors just do the job of providing services instead of getting into all these other things. We have transit issues, planning issues, etc.
 
The problem with the MacDonald-Cartier Freeway name is that the province never truly adopted it: most signs still say "401". The Queen Elizabeth Way, on the other hand, is the only name that ever appears on signs. Most people call it that, or use the acronym "QEW". When people drive into Toronto, they use the Gardiner Expressway name. We say "Nathan Phillips Square", not "Bay-Queen Square" "City Hall Square". People adopt these names if they're the only names, they're uncontroversial and they're easy to say or abbreviate. To keep insisting on using generic names for important landmarks and saying that politicians shouldn't pay any attention to names seems parochial.
 
That's because Skydome is easy and more likable. I hear Pearson used far more often than Toronto Int'l. Lester B. Pearson was an outstanding prime minister. It's good that we honoured his memory that way.
 
Another sign that we have way more threads then necessary - People are talking about the exact same thing on the "Union Station: Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Metrolinx, U/C, Zeidler)" thread.

Its high time that all construction related to Union station be merged into one thread. That being; the shed, the track work, the underground concourse and the subway station.
 
vegeta_skyline said:
Another sign that we have way more threads then necessary - People are talking about the exact same thing on the "Union Station: Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Metrolinx, U/C, Zeidler)" thread.

Its high time that all construction related to Union station be merged into one thread. That being; the shed, the track work, the underground concourse and the subway station.
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LOL.... i feel like i saw this almost exact same comment from you somewhere else....
 
vegeta_skyline said:
Another sign that we have way more threads then necessary - People are talking about the exact same thing on the "Union Station: Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Metrolinx, U/C, Zeidler)" thread.

Its high time that all construction related to Union station be merged into one thread. That being; the shed, the track work, the underground concourse and the subway station.
Click to expand...

Absent a thread merger....it would seem that this thread is the more appropriate (if there is one ;) ) place to discuss the suggested renaming......this thread is about the building the other is about the track and shed.

That said, don't rename Union Station.
 
vegeta_skyline said:
Another sign that we have way more threads then necessary - People are talking about the exact same thing on the "Union Station: Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Metrolinx, U/C, Zeidler)" thread.

Its high time that all construction related to Union station be merged into one thread. That being; the shed, the track work, the underground concourse and the subway station.
Click to expand...

Different projects. Different teams. Different threads.
 
Renaming Toronto Union Station for Sir John A. MacDonald...

W. K. Lis said:
Toronto’s Union Station should be renamed for Sir John A. MacDonald, councillor says


Denzil Minnan-Wong says the historic station now under renovation would be a fitting monument to Canada’s railway-building first prime minister.


From The Star, at this link:



Personally, the train station in Kingston should be name after John A. MacDonald, since John A. is from Kingston. Of course, the Kingston station is not as grand.
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Everyone: I noted this move to re-name Toronto Union Station for Canada's first Prime Minister: Good idea but wrong station...I agree that Kingston's VIA Rail station would
be a better move then to re-name Toronto Union Station which has had this name since it was built...

This subject reminds me of a Philadelphia civic group that wanted to re-name Amtrak's 30th Street Station after Ben Franklin back about ten or so years ago...

After the new name was becoming "Ben Station" which can easily be confused with New York's Penn Station (or Baltimore's -which was constructed also by the Pennsylvania
Railroad) this proposal was quietly withdrawn noting other venues in Philadelphia are named after Ben Franklin: A DRPA suspension bridge across the Delaware River has been
named for him for many years...

I also think that some may confuse "MacDonald" with "McDonald's" thinking that the station is being re-named in a naming rights deal instead of one of Canada's founding fathers...
Just keep the name "Toronto Union Station" as it has been - and should continue to be...

LI MIKE
 
A few photos of the York Concourse construction from the Metrolinx Flickr page (from February 7, 2014), there's a few more there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrolinx/sets/72157641462628264/with/12748281483/

New elevator enclosure on Platform 6/7
12748591074_e9b6f5b116_b.jpg


New stairs to Platform 10/11
12748591614_76aaced540_b.jpg


Stairs from new GO Concourse to platform level
12748282353_a6cfd0519f_b.jpg


Stairs from new GO concourse to platform level
12748590414_cbc4dfa097_b.jpg


A view of the new GO concourse (upper level) and retail space (lower level)
12748148865_2eb43764c2_b.jpg


Escalators from GO concourse (upper level) to retail space (lower level)
12748147765_5941993dee_b.jpg
 
They look to be 13-14 ft, more than the current ceilings at union. you can see the two construction workers in the last photo for scale.
 
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