Day 1

February 1, 2010

Yonge Line

15.7 Kilometres

It was my first day of unemployment, but I got up at the usual time. But, instead of driving to work, I walked with Ursula to the subway. It's been 23 years since I've taken the subway to work. It was much as I remembered it - packed to Yonge, and then fairly empty heading north. Ursula got off at St. Clair, and I continued to the end of the line.

I've actually walked this section before. I know lots of people who run marathons, and they're always training for them. I thought, I bet I could do a marathon without any training if I walked it. So, in 2000, that's what I did. I made up my own marathon, starting at the foot of Yonge Street, walked to Steeles, which is two kilometres, beyond the end of the subway line, walked back down to the foot of Yonge, and then walking back up to Mount Pleasant Cemetary. Today's walk would be a cakewalk in comparison.

Finch to North York Centre

Finch Station is not only the teminus for the subway, but also for buses that head out into the area beyond Toronto. I exited the station at the northern most exit, which is a block north of Finch, and started heading south.

In that first block is where my original post office box had been.

When Mark Tubewalked London, he did it in the summer. The worst he had to worry about was a little rain. I was doing it in the middle of the Canadian winter. But my plan is to cycle across Canada this summer, so it was now or never. Now, it actually doesn't get that cold in Toronto - it was only -6 - but there was a nasty wind. It was so bad it blew over a sandwich sign as I walked past. With my winter clothes and my toque I was okay, except for my hands. When I took them out of my pockets to snap a picture, they went numb from the cold.

The condofication of the area that had begun when I worked here has continued in the intervening 23 years.

I passed Mr. Transmission. I played hockey for several years on a team that was sponsored by a guy who owned two or three Mr. Transmissions, and I'm pretty sure that this is one of them.

I passed the bulding where my travel agent used to be. The last time I used her was when I bought a one-way ticket to India 13 years ago. Or maybe I used her once after that, when I returned. But with the Internet there's no need for travel agents any more.

I passed the building where my post office box had moved to. It was there for several years until one day they went bankrupt. The new owners held my mail hostage for about a month before I could finally get it back.

The street is lined with stores and restaurants, but there probably aren't many left from when I worked in the neighbourhood. Even the McDonald's is gone. It's now a Century 21 office.

The small building that used to be the branch of the library that loaned 16mm films is still there. It's now a hairdressers.

Mel Lastman Square Then we come to the North York Centre. The subway station here opened a week after my company moved their office to Markham. That was kind of annoying. When I first started working here there was a library branch and a large park. It was all torn down to make way for the Civic Centre which boasts a giant library, a hotel, a mall and what was the North York city hall until amalgamation. And there's a big concrete park named Mel Lastman Square, which the mayor of North York named after himself. However, they did have great concerts here until amalgamation.

North York Centre to Sheppard

Across the street from Mel Lassman Square is the building that I first worked in when I moved to Toronto. The restaurant in the basement where we used to go for chicken wings after playing baseball has been swallowed up by Scotiabank.

Just down the street is the Dairy Queen. When I first started working here it was only opened in the summer. My travel agent was over top of it. But then they rebuilt it into a year-round place and my travel agent moved.

Down the street is the government building where I go to get my passport renewed.

I went into the Sheppard Centre to get out of the cold. The dentist that I went to when I first moved to Toronto is still here. I went to them for about a year, but I didn't like them, so I got a new dentist. The Sheppard Centre is completely changed since when I was working here. This is where I would get off the subway when I worked here. It was a five or 10 minute walk to work from here.

This is where the Yonge line meets with the new Sheppard line. More about that later.

Sheppard to York Mills

South of the Sheppard Centre is National Sports, were I used to buy all of my sporting goods.

They've removed some low rise commercial buildings, and turned them into parking lots. It looks like more condos are going to go in there.

After this Youge Street goes underneath the 401. This stretch of the 401 is the busiest road in North America. I was walking down the east side of the street. The sidewalk curved to the east, and there was a sign saying for pedestrians to follow it to get under the 401. It wound its way past the various on and off ramps, and under the 401. There was a sign for pedestrians to follow the sidewalk to get Youge Street south. There was a bridge across Yonge Street, and it deposited you on the west side of Youge Street. At this point the sidewalk ended, and there was a sign for pedestrians to use the sidewalk on the east side of the street. However, there was no crosswalk to get across the street, and five lanes of busy traffic. I decided to continue along the dirt path on the west side where I would only have to cross one lane of traffic that was an exit ramp from the 401, and down a little ways before the sidewalk started up on the west side.

At this point the street starts descending down to Hogg's Hollow. I passed the golf course where we had our company Christmas party on my first Christmas here in Toronto.

I passed Auberge du Pommier, one of the fanciest restaurants in Toronto. I've never eaten there.

The York Mills Station is right at the bottom of Hogg's Hollow. I felt like something was poking into my heel, so I ducked into the station to get out of the cold so I could adjust my shoe.

York Mills to Lawrence

The nice thing about being in Hogg's Hollow is that there was much less wind.

I passed the Jolly Miller Tavern. It's where we would park our cars for the weekend, when the bike club would do a bus trip to Ottawa for Winterlude.

As I began climbing up out of Hogg's Hollow, the sun started to break through the clouds.

At the top I was back in another retail section. The sun was out, the wind was down, and it was much warmer. I passed the place where my post office box had been after the other place went bankrupt. This was my box when I was travelling around the world. It was very handy to have. My brother would occasionally go pick up my mail from there. Right next door was a bank, so I did a little banking.

There were some nice looking bakeries, but I wasn't hungry at this point.

Lawrence to Eglinton

South of Lawrence there are old apartment buildings on one side of the street and a park on the other.

I passed a Sign of the Skier, where I bought Ursula new boots and bindings for her cross-country skis.

I pass Sporting Life, were I used to buy runners. This marks the beginning of the Youge Eglinton retail section. It's an area of yuppie stores.

I passed the Capital, which used to be part of the Festival repertory cinema chain.

I went in to Sporting Life's cycling store, but it was mostly taken up with winter clothes. I'll probably need to replace my old cycling shoes at some point, but today's cycling shoes are all over engineered.

I passed the place where my photo lab used to be, until the landlord jacked the rent up and so they moved. I see the space is still empty.

I went into the Youge Eglinton Centre to use the facilities, and got an apple turnover.

Eglinton to Davisville

South of Eglinton the subway emerges from the ground and runs half a block west of Yonge.

The retail section is more downscale. I passed a Cyclepath, where I have bought cycling accessories in the past.

I went into the Trek Shop. Back when I lived at Youge and St. Clair it was known as Sport Swap. It was the store where I would go to drool over bikes and accessories. Back then it sold all kinds of bikes. Now it only sells Treks. It makes for a boring store, unless you're really into Trek.

As I was waiting at a red light, there was a FedEx truck parked illegally. A parking enforcement car turned the corner, parked, and the woman got out and started giving the truck a ticket. The FedEx guy returned and started talking to her. Then a guy in a van waiting to turn left started yelling at the parking lady, because she was parked illegally.

At Davisville there used to be a Golden Griddle. That was the restaurant where Douglas Coupland decided to give up his magazine job and write novels full-time.

Davisville to St. Clair

At the north end of Mount Pleasant Cemetery is an old train bridge that goes across the road. It's part of the Beltline Trail, which is now a bike and walking the path. I've cycled along it many times.

Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a huge place. It's full of famous dead people. Timothy Eaton's mausoleum is in here. It's a nice place to go cycling or walking in the summer.

The subway goes back underground at this point. subway

This area is my old stomping ground from when I lived here. But it has completely changed in the 13 years since I moved away. However, my optician is still here.

I went to Second Cup and got a double long espresso for Ursula. I took it to her office, but she was in a meeting with her boss, so I just said hi and left.

St.Clair to Summerhill

South of St. Clair is the apartment building that I used to live in. They've now build townhouses in what was our backyard. On the same street is a new condo building where my old roommate now lives.

As you continue on you getting to an area of high end retail stores.

Summerhill to Rosedale

Where the train tracks crossed Yonge there's an old train station which has been converted into an LCBO. There used to be a beer store on one side, but LCBO has taken over the whole thing, and it's the largest one in the province. LCBO

Rosedale to Bloor

Across the street from the Rosedale subway station is Ramsden Park, where I often skated with the bike club.

Next is the Metro Reference Library, which is a huge, non-lending library.

Now we're in the real downtown. From here it's your standard Yonge Street retail space, which is to say cheap restaurants and stores selling cheap junk. I stopped in at the remainder bookstore across the street from the library. It's mostly given way to DVDs. I bought three VHS movies for five dollars.

I went into the Cumberland Terrace, and found a bench to sit on and eat my lunch. Then I made my way underground to the Hudson Bay Centre. This is where the Bloor and Yonge subways meet.

Bloor to Wellesley

South of Bloor there's a big empty lot, when they demolished the buildings, but ran out of money to build the big condo tower.

I passed the site of the late, lamented Uptown Theatre. I passed the site where Bakka, the science fiction bookstore, used to be.

Wellesley to College

South of Wellesley is Just Desserts. They used to be everywhere, but I think this is the last one left.

At College, it's College Park. I'll have to go here some other time to get a new OHIP card.

College to Dundas

South of College Park they're digging up what has been a parking lot for ever. They're probably going to put up a new condo.

Next we come to the strip club and adult store section. It's a lot smaller than it used to be.

Then the site of the late, lamented Sam the Record Man. Sunrise and HMV are still here. Half a block away is the World's Biggest Bookstore. Once upon a time it really was the world's biggest bookstore.

Dundas to Queen

The Eaton Centre is the heart of downtown. Across the street is Dundas Square, a bleak slab of concrete.

I continued walking down Youge Street, rather than walking through the Eaton Centre, which I usually do. There was much talk about opening up the mall to the street, but it really hasn't made anything different. There are just a few restaurants opening to the street. Plus the Edge 102 studios, which is my default radio station.

Across the street are the Canon and Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre's, where I have seen a number of plays and musicals, including Spamalot.

Queen to King

South of Queen, and the Eaton Centre, it remains retail but not as tightly packed.

I saw Adele walking up the street. At least I think it was her. She was on the other side, so I couldn't tell for sure.

As I approached King I entered the heart of the financial district.

King to Union

I continued to walk down to Front Street. At the corner is the Hockey Hall of Fame. It's in what used to be known as B.C.E. Place. Many years back, when a friend of mine was going to architecture school, he got me to go down here to take pictures of it for his architecture project.

Kitty corner is what is now known as the Sony Centre, where I have seen such concerts as Leonard Cohen.

At this point the subway does a U-turn, so I walked along Front Street to Union Station. This is where the subway meets the commuter trains. And so my first tube walk was done, and I hopped the subway home.

Epilogue

When I got home and took my shoes off, the heal of one of my socks was covered in blood. I had a giant blister that had popped, and several others that hadn't. Maybe I'll have to wear my hiking boots next time.


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