TTC names emergency exercise after Vietnam War bombing campaign

The transit agency named its two upcoming emergency preparedness exercise, Operation Rolling Thunder, the same code name for the American aerial bombing of North Vietnam.

Thestar.com
Sept. 27, 2017
By Bryann Aguilar

The Toronto Transit Commission is apologizing for naming its two scheduled emergency preparedness exercises on the soon to be opened subway extension after a deadly bombing campaign carried out during the Vietnam War.

In a letter sent to York University Students, the transit agency said they will be conducting an emergency preparedness exercise, named "Rolling Thunder," in the York University station on Oct. 25 in advance of the opening of the Line 1 extension in December.

Students immediately raised concerns about the name of the operation being offensive for it was also used as a code name for an American aerial bombing operation in North Vietnam from 1965 to 1968.

"The TTC apologizes unreservedly for this name and the negative connotations associated with it," TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said in an email.

He said the exercises will now be referred to only as TYSSE Emergency Exercise #1 and TYSSE Emergency Exercise #2. Both exercises will serve as a test run of track-level emergencies on the new subway infrastructure for TTC and first responders from Toronto and York regions before the Dec. 17 opening.

Students from the Disaster & Emergency Management, Nursing and Kinesiology & Health Science programs will also participate in the simulation.

Following the first test run at York University, a second exercise will also take place at the Highway 407 station on Nov. 22. The exercises will impact transportation on and off campus.

The Toronto-York Spadina Extension sees the addition of six new subway stations on Line 1 that stretches past the Toronto border to the city of Vaughan.