I don't know, this is sounding very half baked. So if I understand correctly, what we're guessing here is that if I show up in Toronto and pay cash to get onto a bus (because even though I have presto, an octranspo monthly pass is useless on the TTc, you have to have money in the e-purse) I might get a pre activated presto card that might be time-stamped somehow that would let me through the gate, but nobody knows for sure despite them being on track to remove all ticket collectors very soon who checked the old printed transfers. Shouldn't this all be well known by now and not guessed? There is zero info on the TTC website which still talks about the current transfer system. I suppose I might end up wandering around a station trying to find one of those red vested "customer service ambassadors" since it looks to me I likely will have a paper transfer in hand with no way to pass the new fare gates.
As long as I start my trip on a streetcar or subway I'm golden because I'll definitely have a paper Presto ticket from a machine.