Work begins on Lawrence & McCowan Station in Scarborough

Construction has begun on Lawrence and McCowan Station for the Scarborough Subway Extension, the second of three planned stations on the line in Scarborough.

Crews have started piling and excavation at the site at Lawrence Avenue and McCowan Road. The station is intended to link subway riders with express bus services on Lawrence Avenue and provide a direct transit connection to Scarborough General Hospital.

Provincial officials say the station will accommodate more than 5,000 riders and support more than 4,000 transfers during rush hour. It will also connect passengers to more than 3,400 jobs in the surrounding area.

The Scarborough Subway Extension will extend TTC Line 2 by 7.8 kilometres from Kennedy Station to Sheppard Avenue and McCowan Road. Once complete, it is expected to handle about 105,000 daily trips.

Ontario says the wider project will bring 38,000 more people and 34,000 jobs within a 10-minute walk of the three new stations. Construction is also expected to keep 3,000 workers employed each year while work continues.

Access to health services is a central feature of the Lawrence and McCowan stop. Scarborough General Hospital, part of Scarborough Health Network, serves 850,000 people across the eastern Greater Toronto Area and is one of Scarborough's major employers.

Premier Doug Ford said the project would improve travel for local residents. "Once complete, the Scarborough Subway Extension will reduce travel times for thousands of residents, connecting more people to good jobs, schools and vital appointments," said Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario. "Our government will continue to deliver for the people of Scarborough through our historic investments to expand public transit and health care, create jobs and lower costs for families."

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria linked the project to the province's broader transit-building programme. "We're bringing world-class rapid transit to Scarborough by extending the TTC's Line 2 subway service almost eight kilometres farther east," said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario Minister of Transportation. "Under Premier Ford's leadership, we're building the infrastructure we need to support one of the fastest-growing regions in Ontario, and we're keeping thousands of workers on the job during construction."

Housing link

The station is also tied to plans for new housing near the site. Todd McCarthy, Acting Ontario Minister of Infrastructure, said the government is planning a transit-oriented community at the future station that would include nearly 740 new homes and support more than 240 new jobs.

"The Scarborough Subway Extension will provide seamless and faster transit across the Greater Toronto Area, connecting Scarborough to downtown Toronto. As part of our government's $236 billion capital plan to build and protect Ontario, we are planning a transit-oriented community at the future Lawrence and McCowan Station that would deliver nearly 740 new homes and support over 240 new jobs, making it easier for people to connect to transit, work and other opportunities," said McCarthy.

Municipal leaders also backed the station project. "I want to thank the Ontario government for this important investment in Scarborough. The new Lawrence and McCowan Station will make it easier for residents to access Scarborough General Hospital and travel across the city, connecting them to jobs, services and opportunities," said Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto.

Metrolinx, which is overseeing the project, said the station will improve access to both work and health care. "We are excited to begin construction on another station for the Scarborough Subway Extension. Building seamless rapid transit to the Scarborough Health Network General Hospital at Lawrence and McCowan will improve access to health care for residents and connect to over 3,400 job opportunities in the local area," said Michael Lindsay, President and CEO of Metrolinx.

Wider expansion

The Scarborough line is part of a broader Ontario subway expansion programme that also includes the Ontario Line, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension. The province has described the group of projects as the largest subway expansion under way in Canada.

Federal support was also highlighted by Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood-Rouge Park, speaking on behalf of Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada. "The federal government is on a mission to build strong, connected and affordable communities," said the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety and Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood-Rouge Park, on behalf of the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada. "Projects like the Scarborough Subway Extension will make it easier for more people to access good jobs, affordable homes and better opportunities. Working with the Province of Ontario, we will build Toronto and Scarborough strong."

Business and transit groups said the extension would strengthen links across the region. "The groundbreaking of the Lawrence and McCowan subway station is another visible step forward in advancing transit connectivity across the Toronto region. With several transit station groundbreakings this summer, the government is making sustained progress on an ambitious transit expansion plan. Once completed, the Scarborough Subway Extension will improve Scarborough residents' connection to the TTC's subway network via Line 2. The extension will also promote transit connections with Line 5, GO Transit and Durham Region Transit, helping further combat congestion and strengthening the region's attractiveness and competitiveness," said Giles Gherson, President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade.