Royal Orchard residents want MP-to-be to put Yonge North Subway Extension back on Yonge Street

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 21, 2021

The message was cloud and clear at the Sept. 17 gathering protesting the North Subway Yonge Subway Extension being tunnelled through the Royal Orchard neighbourhood: "Stay on Yonge."

Just a few days before the federal election, residents gathered letting their candidates know what they expect of their future government, and that is to keep the subway on Yonge Street, which was the original proposal.

They gathered because they believe there is a better option for the subway, and that tunnelling through their neighbourhood should be the last choice.

Roz FitzPatrick of Thornhill was one of the organizers behind the drilling protest that took place in front of her residence of 23 years.

She said when her and her spouse first saw the house, they fell in love with the nice, quiet area near Yonge St.

"None of use would believe that today we would be facing having a subway being tunnelled under our homes," FitzPatrick said. "It's very alarming."

What FitzPatrick wants from her future Thornhill representative is to have someone who is going to fight to keep the subway on Yonge St.

"We need to keep the rail alignment out of tunnelling in our neighbourhood and keeping it on Yonge where it should be, where it makes sense," she said.

Politicians joining the protest included MP Peter Kent, Deputy Mayor of Markham and Regional councillor Don Hamilton, and councillor Keith Irish, who is leading the charge against the tunnelling of the subway through the neighbourhood.

"Maybe if there was no other way to build the subway extension we'd be a bit sympathetic," Kent said. "But there is another way, and it's a better one," he added in reference to Option 1 which involved the rail being on Yonge St.

"Residents are mad that Option 3 was designed behind closed doors ... it is high risk and low value," Kent said.

Kent, who is on the clock for three more days until the election, said he was nominated in 2007 to represent Thornhill, and it was the same year that the Spadina extension was announced.

"They don't recognize this is a project of our generation," Kent said.

Tim King, and Carolyn Mac Donald are neighbours living near the Royal Orchard area. They were unable to attend the protest. However, they expressed their concerns about the tunnelling of the subway under a neighbourhood.

"It's an act of madness," King said, adding that, "I do not know why or what the motives were to go under our neighbourhood."

King said that residents including himself are not against the subway, and in fact have always encouraged the development to be tunnelled on Yonge St. However, tunnelling under homes that have been there for 50 years and expecting it not to be a disaster, is where the issue lies with King.

"What we want is our political candidate to put the subway back where they said it was going to be."

Regional councillor Don Hamilton said he 100 per cent stands behind Irish in every move he makes. "At regional councils you got 21 people. They live all across the region Do you think they care? The answer is probably not ... but I want you to know that I care because I represent Thornhill and I will do everything I can in conjunction with Keith to make sure the alignment is the right alignment up Yonge St.," Hamilton said.

"It's not going to be easy," Hamilton added.