Prior to the recent incident with Mayor Rob Ford’s football team, it appears the deadly Sunrise Propane explosion four years ago was the last time a TTC bus was used to transport — rather than temporarily house — individuals in an emergency situation.
Fire, police and ambulance crews regularly ask the TTC to dispatch shelter buses to crisis locations — fires, for example. But in almost every case, those buses act as a warm place for displaced residents to wait until they’re able to return home.
Almost never is the service used to move people.
The last time the TTC’s executive director of communications, Brad Ross, could pinpoint was on Aug. 10, 2008. On that day, a series of massive, early-morning explosions at the North York propane plant claimed the life of an employee and forced about 12,500 people from their homes. The TTC shuttled hundreds to an evacuation centre at York University.
The stark difference between the two incidents — a deadly explosion that sent thousands fleeing their homes, versus a dispute over a refereeing call — has people on the TTC’s board once again questioning the events at Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School last week.
“Whether this — an altercation between a ref and a coach — constituted a quote-unquote ‘emergency situation’ is questionable,” said TTC chair Karen Stintz. “In fact, I think there are questions all around here. The police are asking questions. The TTC is asking questions. And I am confident we will not see a repeat of the situation.”
