HousingNowTO
Senior Member
APRIL 22, 2026
Location, Location, Location...
Location, Location, Location...
Toronto Ontario Line: Chinatown Station | 7m | 1s | Metrolinx | HDR
- Thread starter interchange42
- Start date
neuhaus
Senior Member
Unless there are solid plans to noticeably expand Chinatown to the south where its presence could be felt just south of Queen Street, I think naming the station Chinatown is not very accurate and could get confusing to those not familiar with the city. If the station was located on Dundas, it would have been a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, many small businesses in Chinatown have closed down or moved to the suburbs, so it seems like Chinatown is in a bit of a decline and unlikely that it will grow to the south.
There have been talks from neighbourhood associations and BIAs about not naming it Chinatown for various reasons. Garment District is a contender due to the history of the area (there is a large thimble at the corner of Richmond and Spadina to represent that), and currently there is a large concentration of textile and beadery stores on Queen to the west and a large concentration of clothing stores to the east.
Another option is to name it simply Queen West.
AnnetteMeetsJane
Active Member
Or Queen-Spadina which is accurate and informative and unlikely to become irrelevant….
UtakataNoAnnex
Superstar
As I mentioned before somewhere that the names of Queen and Spadina have been used for other stations, so I can see the reluctance of using them again...but that doesn't stop them from using Queen-Spadina which would be unique to this designation.
...Chinatown makes me think it's stops at Dundas and Spadina. >.<
...Chinatown makes me think it's stops at Dundas and Spadina. >.<
junctionist
Senior Member
It should have been called Fashion District station with the name of the main intersection below the station name on signage at platform level.
AnnetteMeetsJane
Active Member
Tourists are often confused by the Fashion District name, expecting a lot of clothes shops or a mall. When I explain that this is an area where clothing used to be made they look underwhelmed. I usually end up directing them to the vintage clothes stores in Kensington Market...
adys123
Active Member
Either Garment District or Fashion District would only speak to the historical uses of the area. But would be confusing for people looking to buy garments or fashion.
The Chinatown name, while on the border will add prominence to the Chinatown area and likely instill efforts to further protect it (as it constantly comes under risk of gentrification). This is much needed as everyone above has pointed out with "Chinese" businesses and people largely moving into the suburbs.
The Chinatown name, while on the border will add prominence to the Chinatown area and likely instill efforts to further protect it (as it constantly comes under risk of gentrification). This is much needed as everyone above has pointed out with "Chinese" businesses and people largely moving into the suburbs.
junctionist
Senior Member
Some clothing is still made in the Fashion District. Plenty of clothing is still sold there. Plus, there are fashionable restaurants. It works. Using "Chinatown" for the station name is not geographically or culturally accurate.
It's also debatable whether Chinatown needs to be protected in its current form. It came to exist because of the discrimination that Chinese Canadians faced and for other reasons which are decreasingly current. Urban neighbourhoods need to evolve. Trying to keep something going that has lost its steam can lead to stagnation and decay.
I fully support efforts to preserve Chinatown's history, but the notion that you have to protect an ethnic enclave from gradual demographic changes seems misguided.