Morningside and Finch

[Earlscourt_Lad]

If Scarborough was surveyed and laid out differently, at 1.8 kms, that would make it 90 chains, or 1 and 1/8th mile per concession. A fairly logical fractional imperial distance (1/16ths, 1/8ths, 1/4ers, 1/2ves being common).

Are they 1.8km square, or 2 x 1.8km?

 

[scarberiankhatru]

They vary between 1.8km and almost 2.1km apart.

 

[interchange42]

Toronto's plans to extend (new) Finch Avenue east of Morningside are dead dead dead, and as such the eastern end of it was realigned last year so that it ends across from the (new) south end of Staines Rd at Morningside Avenue.

It's a Rouge Park thing - no new road is going to be built through Rouge Park.

42

 

[JasonParis]

Anyone know why there's that one wee spot in Etobicoke where both sides of Steeles are actually Toronto? It's just west of Islington basically. The ESSO station (for instance) has a 416#, a Toronto address and an M postal code.

 

[CDL.TO]

Anyone know why there's that one wee spot in Etobicoke where both sides of Steeles are actually Toronto? It's just west of Islington basically. The ESSO station (for instance) has a 416#, a Toronto address and an M postal code.

I assume you're referring to this area here. Steeles isn't really the boundary between Toronto and York Region, the concession line that Steeles runs along is. So, since Steeles dips south (presumably to cross the Humber River in a more efficient manner), the Toronto-York Region boundary continues in a straight line to the north of it.

On that Google Map, look at the building on the northwest corner of Steeles and Kipling. It's completely in Toronto. The concession line and the visible former alignment of Steeles Avenue passes to the north of it.

 

[ShonTron]

The Esso Station at Islington is in Vaughan. I remember that because my father tried calling home in Brampton from there and had to pay long distance (the days when Brampton-Woodbridge was long distance - perhaps it still is). The plaza and gas station at Kipling and Steeles is in the City of Toronto, the Kipling bus loops at the border north of Steeles.

 

[JasonParis]

I assume you're referring to this area here. Steeles isn't really the boundary between Toronto and York Region, the concession line that Steeles runs along is. So, since Steeles dips south (presumably to cross the Humber River in a more efficient manner), the Toronto-York Region boundary continues in a straight line to the north of it.

On that Google Map, look at the building on the northwest corner of Steeles and Kipling. It's completely in Toronto. The concession line and the visible former alignment of Steeles Avenue passes to the north of it.

That's where I meant. I assumed it was something along those lines (that Steeles alignment had changed a bit), but thanks for clarifying!

The Esso Station at Islington is in Vaughan. I remember that because my father tried calling home in Brampton from there and had to pay long distance (the days when Brampton-Woodbridge was long distance - perhaps it still is). The plaza and gas station at Kipling and Steeles is in the City of Toronto, the Kipling bus loops at the border north of Steeles.

Yah, I think I was thinking of the other gas station. I used to make deliveries in the area and it had me confused as to why it was north of Steeles, but still in Toronto.

 

[Lone Primate]

I assume you're referring to this area here. Steeles isn't really the boundary between Toronto and York Region, the concession line that Steeles runs along is. So, since Steeles dips south (presumably to cross the Humber River in a more efficient manner), the Toronto-York Region boundary continues in a straight line to the north of it.

On that Google Map, look at the building on the northwest corner of Steeles and Kipling. It's completely in Toronto. The concession line and the visible former alignment of Steeles Avenue passes to the north of it.

Yeah, Steeles didn't cross the Humber till 1983. When the time came to do it, the surveyors and planners decided that the least expensive and most practical way to do it was to divert the road south a bit. But CDL's right; the survey line Steeles typically follows has been the regional boundary since 1953 (and remains one), and a municipal boundary for much longer than that.

 

[Edward Skira]

Yeah, Steeles didn't cross the Humber till 1983. When the time came to do it, the surveyors and planners decided that the least expensive and most practical way to do it was to divert the road south a bit.

That area is a former garbage dump IIRC.

 

[adma]

Likewise, notice how Steeles bulges northward and totally into Vaughan out around Claireville--again, 70s/80s realignment working here...

 

[Lone Primate]

Likewise, notice how Steeles bulges northward and totally into Vaughan out around Claireville--again, 70s/80s realignment working here...

Ahh, I'm very familiar with that area... the changes made to accommodate the reservoir and the 427 since the 1950s north of where Rexdale/Derry is now have particularly interested me for some time (see here and here). That's where Albion Road takes over the course of Indian Line. Steeles had a slight dogleg at Indian Line once, with Peel and York almost but not quite in concert. Today, that corner forms part of Codlin Cr. Steeles was diverted around it to save the houses on what's now Codlin from having to be torn down in favour of the eventual much greater traffic volumes that the road improvement was being made to accommodate.

 

[Transportfan]

One thing that surprises me is that Finch was never connected to Derry. that could have been done as late as the late 80s before many of the houses south of Humber College were built (and when the link to connect the 2 sections of Finch was already under construction). Would have made much more sense that having Derry continuing to connect to Rexdale Blvd, a road to nowhere.

Although (few ppl know this) Rexdale was planned to connect to Wilson via the creek valley, which is why Albion had the unusual 2-bridge split over the Humber, before traffic both ways was routed over the newer 4-lane bridge that aimed for the valley (and Rexdale Blvd.) If you have ever heard of Bergamont Rd, that is where the link would have ran. If you're ever in the area, you notice that it's 4 lanes east of Islington and ends at a dead end just east of a small street.

 

[adma]

And in a sense, Rexdale is a "road to somewhere", i.e. the 401--and the strange curve it makes into Islington proves the fact. (It's got that real 50s-built "northwest connector" thing going--a connector to Woodbine Race Track, a connector to A.V. Roe, etc...)

 

[Towered]

Wow, I had no idea about that, Transportfan! Very interesting bit of history! I've always been very frustrated by the lack of east-west road connections in Rexdale and wondered what the city was thinking. Why was this connection never built? Also, you wouldn't happen to know why Sheppard suddenly stops at Weston, would you?

 

[unimaginative2]

How much planning was done for the East Metro Freeway before it was cancelled? Where exactly was it supposed to run? I assume its terminus was the Pickering Airport.