Toronto Ontario Line 3 | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx

Argh, people love to throw out acronyms that make my brain go blank.
OMSF = Ontario Municipal Storage Facility, which the Metrolinx website says should properly be used to refer to a different site in Mississauga.
Google also returns: OMFS = Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery, a department in U of T's dentistry programme.
You're welcome.

Anyway, I presumed the OMSF site is where the line was to go, I'm surprised it's actually going in front of the Salvation Army office building. I would have thought, and the very least, the line might go under it. If the line were to go behind that building, it would need to squeeze between it and the big hydro electric station, which I'm sure would be off limits to a transit project, even for tunnelling under it.
But that's why I'm here, to learn stuff.
 
Follow-up to my post above, I looked at the link to Thorncliffe Park Station a few posts back, and seeing the first artist rendering on that page, it looks like the Salvation Army building isn't there anymore, and the station replaces it. Of course, artist renderings aren't always accurate, and can lead to wild and unjustified speculation. I'll wait and see, before presuming anything.
 
Why would one preserve a 1-story store in a routine strip mall? Even the ones not removed, I'd assumed would be quickly redeveloped.

Shame the province couldn't get the Throncliffe Park station closer to the CPKC tracks. If we were ever to successfully negotiate with CPKC to get the Midtown line running, it would allow for easy transitioning.
The station is already further north than the centre of the area - nearly a 1-km walk to some buildings. Moving it another 300 metres north, might lose more passengers than it gains.

If a transfer with the midtown line is important, then I'd put the station near Green Belt Drive on Don Mills Road.
 
Last edited:
Follow-up to my post above, I looked at the link to Thorncliffe Park Station a few posts back, and seeing the first artist rendering on that page, it looks like the Salvation Army building isn't there anymore, and the station replaces it. Of course, artist renderings aren't always accurate, and can lead to wild and unjustified speculation. I'll wait and see, before presuming anything.
You're thinking of the wrong intersection. The Salvation Army building is at the corner of Millwood and Overlea Blvd and it's not going anywhere.
Aerial_Day.jpg

That bend by the costo and then Don mills again is pretty extreme for a train. It’s gonna be super slow moving and hopefully doesn’t derail like the streetcars do at Chruch and King 😝
Given the render above those curves aren't at all extreme.
 
Argh, people love to throw out acronyms that make my brain go blank.
OMSF = Ontario Municipal Storage Facility, which the Metrolinx website says should properly be used to refer to a different site in Mississauga.
Google also returns: OMFS = Oral and MaxilloFacial Surgery, a department in U of T's dentistry programme.
You're welcome.

Anyway, I presumed the OMSF site is where the line was to go, I'm surprised it's actually going in front of the Salvation Army office building. I would have thought, and the very least, the line might go under it. If the line were to go behind that building, it would need to squeeze between it and the big hydro electric station, which I'm sure would be off limits to a transit project, even for tunnelling under it.
But that's why I'm here, to learn stuff.

No, that is not what it stands for.

It's Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility.
 
You're thinking of the wrong intersection. The Salvation Army building is at the corner of Millwood and Overlea Blvd and it's not going anywhere.
Got it, thanks. I pictured the line running well north of Overlea, but it appears it will be right next to it for some distance, in front of many other buildings on the north side.
I'm sure this is a question answered before, but I wonder why they didn't run the elevated line in place of the wide grassy divider that ran down the middle of Overlea until it was removed recently.
I suppose there could be a debate as to whether that would be esthetically beautiful, or 'orrible.
 
You're thinking of the wrong intersection. The Salvation Army building is at the corner of Millwood and Overlea Blvd and it's not going anywhere. View attachment 691464

Given the render above those curves aren't at all extreme.
Plus the trains will be slower moving as they enter and exit the station.
 
I'm sure this is a question answered before, but I wonder why they didn't run the elevated line in place of the wide grassy divider that ran down the middle of Overlea until it was removed recently.
I suppose there could be a debate as to whether that would be esthetically beautiful, or 'orrible.
An elevated station in a road median requires an extra mezzanine level for passengers to cross the street. That adds cost for the taller station and guideway structure (plus extra elevators and escalators which increase maintenance costs) and locals will complain about the extra height overshadowing the street. Median alignments work best where there is no station. In theory, at Thorncliffe Park, they could have sited the station N-S behind the Costco with entrance at the south end which would have allowed a median alignment.
Side of road stations typically only have one escalator or elevator to reach the platform..

ie Green Timbers Station on the Surrey SkyTrain extension in median with mezzanine which minimizes park encroachment either side of the street.

240605-Green-Timbers-140_Day-scaled.jpg
 
Last edited:
You're thinking of the wrong intersection. The Salvation Army building is at the corner of Millwood and Overlea Blvd and it's not going anywhere. View attachment 691464

Given the render above those curves aren't at all extreme.

Great render. Thanks for the upload.

So am I wrong, or do elevated train tracks usually make the streetscape feel pretty severe underneath? A little bit like walking under the Gardiner it's pretty dark and gloomy and street level.

I feel like same will happen here. Strip mall and huge parking lot on one side, elevated tracks on the other, it's going to feel pretty grim. No?

Screenshot 2025-10-27 at 6.34.21 PM.png
 
So am I wrong, or do elevated train tracks usually make the streetscape feel pretty severe underneath? A little bit like walking under the Gardiner it's pretty dark and gloomy and street level.

I feel like same will happen here. Strip mall and huge parking lot on one side, elevated tracks on the other, it's going to feel pretty grim. No?
It won’t be anywhere near as wide or as oppressive as the Gardiner. To get a sense of what it will be like, have a look at the Skytrain along No. 3 Road in Richmond.
 
An elevated station in a road median requires an extra mezzanine level for passengers to cross the street. That adds cost for the taller station and guideway structure (plus extra elevators and escalators which increase maintenance costs) and locals will complain about the extra height overshadowing the street. Median alignments work best where there is no station. In theory, at Thorncliffe Park, they could have sited the station N-S behind the Costco with entrance at the south end which would have allowed a median alignment.
Side of road stations typically only have one escalator or elevator to reach the platform..

ie Green Timbers Station on the Surrey SkyTrain extension in median with mezzanine which minimizes park encroachment either side of the street.

240605-Green-Timbers-140_Day-scaled.jpg
Wait so Vancouver is using the "T" as well now? I don't seem to recall them doing that, but it was like 2 years ago that I visited and maybe I just don't remember.
 

Back
Top