Happy birthday, subway! Today is the fiftieth anniversary of Canada's first subway system, here in Toronto. Fittingly, the TTC was feted, and an unprecidented agreement was signed by all three levels of government, to rund the TTC by an additional $1.05 billion over the next five years.
The original Yonge line subway, originally planned as an underground streetcar line but (smartly) re-planned as a real subway line, was from Union station up to Eglinton station. The inaugural trip, from Eglinton to Union, was attended by Premier Leslie Frost and mayor Allan Lamport, among other dignitaries; today the trip was duplicated by our current politicians, such as Premier Dalton McGuinty, mayor David Miller, and others. Prime Minister Paul Martin was not at the ceremonies after the ride, but he was at TTC headquarters this morning for the funding announcement.
And there was cake, provided by the chef school of George Brown College (dutifully pimped; I'm not at the chef school but I am a GBC student). And it was good cake.
Hopefully, soon the TTC will be able to expand once more, and reclaim its rightful place as the best transit system in North America. I look forward to celebrating the 100th birthday of the TTC subway system, and expect good things to happen throughout the next half-century.