TORONTO, Jan. 14 /CNW/ - On March 30th, 1954, Canada's First Subway opened for service. It was an immediate hit with the people; 250,000 rode it on the first day. Its opening established it as an icon for the booming
economy that lay ahead for post-war Toronto. Although it ran only 4.6 miles (7.4 km) - from Eglinton to Union - it marked the arrival of Canada on the world platform of great transit properties. Canada now had a subway!
On Tuesday, March 30th, 2004, the TTC will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Yonge Subway with a re-enactment of the official opening train ride and
a giant party in the Grand Hall at Union (train) Station at Front and Bay streets. The public is invited to join the historic subway train ride at any of the original 12 stations: Eglinton, Davisville, St. Clair, Summerhill,
Rosedale, Bloor, Wellesley, College, Dundas, Queen, King or Union, or come directly to the Grand Hall at Union (train) Station to join the celebration.
The first train leaves Eglinton Station at about 10:30 a.m., and the ceremonies begin at Union Station at 11 a.m.
A ten-minute videotape(x) shows the highlights of the subway construction and opening in 1954.
"It also shows the extensive underground work that continues every day during the short four-hour nightly window when the trains do not operate," said TTC Vice Chair Joe Mihevc. "It is a never ending story of building, and
replacing the subway infrastructure on a life cycle basis."
When the subway was under construction, in the early '50s, musician Mel Hamill composed a jaunty tune, The New Subway(x), sung by Betty Carr and Charles Baldour. While it's wonderfully dated now, it expresses some of the
same ideas Torontonians still discuss - "We're gonna have a subway in Toronto: we gotta get the working man home pronto." A copy is available for play.

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