Notice of Publication of Final Exhibition Station Early Works Report

Ontario Line Project

The Project

The Ontario Line will bring nearly 16 kilometres of new subway service to Toronto to make it faster and easier for people to get where they need to be each day. The line will stretch across the city, from the Ontario Science Centre in the northeast to Exhibition/Ontario Place in the southwest. The Ontario Line is proposed to include 15 potential stations, including six interchange stations, and connections to three GO train lines, two existing subway lines, the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and streetcar lines at 10 of its stations. The project will feature a combination of tunneled, surface and elevated segments, and will be completely separated from traffic to provide fast and reliable commutes.

Exhibition Station Early Works

Exhibition Station early works are planned where the Ontario Line will run alongside GO train operations. These early works will set the groundwork for other major construction on the Ontario Line project. Exhibition Station early works include an extension to the existing passenger tunnel, a temporary pedestrian bridge, a new north platform, minor GO track shift towards the northern limit of the existing rail corridor, and utility relocations.

Environmental impacts of Exhibition Station early works are being assessed in accordance with Ontario Regulation 341/20: Ontario Line Project (O. Reg. 341/20), under the Environmental Assessment

Act. In accordance with Section 8 of O. Reg. 341/20, Metrolinx prepared a Draft Exhibition Station Early Works Report (EWR) that was available for public review from November 30, 2020 to January 5, 2021.

The Draft EWR outlined the purpose of the Exhibition Station early works, a description of local environmental conditions, potential impacts, proposed mitigation measures and a consultation record. Public comments received throughout the comment period for the Draft Exhibition Station EWR were recorded and have been incorporated into the Final Exhibition Station EWR.

The Final Early Works Report and Minister’s Review Process

Metrolinx established an issues resolution process to attempt to resolve concerns raised during the review of the Draft Exhibition Station EWR. In accordance with Section 11 of O. Reg. 341/20, Metrolinx updated the Draft Exhibition Station EWR and published the Final Exhibition Station EWR to include a description of the issues resolution process, any concerns raised during the review period, what Metrolinx did to address these concerns, and impacts to the early works implementation timeline as a result of addressing concerns. Effective February 1, 2021 the Final Exhibition Station EWR will be available on the project webpage (www.metrolinx.com/ontarioline). Within 35 days after receipt of the Notice of Final Exhibition Station EWR, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks may issue a notice to Metrolinx imposing conditions related to the early works. The Minister may also choose to inform Metrolinx that no notice will be issued. The Minister may issue a notice only if:

• The Minister is of the opinion that the way in which Metrolinx has addressed a concern raised in the issues resolution process would cause unreasonable delay to the implementation of the early works and the conditions in the Minister’s notice change the way in which the concern is addressed in the final EWR without causing unreasonable delay to the implementation of the early works; or

• The Minister is of the opinion that the early works may have an adverse impact on the existing aboriginal or treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada, and the conditions may prevent, mitigate, or remedy the adverse impact.

Once the Minister gives Notice, confirms that no notice will be given, or the 35-day Minister’s review period is complete, Metrolinx will proceed with early works as described in the Final Exhibition Station EWR, subject to any conditions imposed by the Minister. To obtain an electronic copy of the Final Exhibition Station EWR, please contact the project email listed below. Josh Vandezande (T: 416-202-5100, E: ontarioline@metrolinx.com) may be contacted on behalf of Metrolinx. Metrolinx, 130 Adelaide Street West Toronto, Ontario M5H 3P5

All personal information included in a submission – such as name, address, telephone number and property location – is collected, maintained and disclosed by Metrolinx for the purpose of transparency and consultation. The information is collected under the authority of O. Reg. 341/20 under the Environmental Assessment Act or is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public as described in s. 37 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Personal information you submit will become part of a public record that is available to the general public unless you request that your personal information remain confidential. For more information, please contact ontarioline@metrolinx.com or 416-874-5900. This Notice was first published on February 1, 2021. Pour plus d’information, veuillez contacter le ontarioline@metrolinx.com.