July 1, 1873: The second Union Station opens
Throughout its history, Toronto’s very own Union Station has bid farewell to Canadian soldiers headed off to battle, welcomed immigrants arriving to Canada, entertained dignitaries, and endured years and years of frustrated commuters.
The age of the railway began in Toronto in 1853 with the departure of a steam engine called “Toronto” from Front St. to Aurora.
Five years later, Toronto’s first Union Station was inaugurated by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR), which was located west of the present Union Station.
The first station was a weak shedlike structure, unable to handle the rapid increase in rail traffic during those years, which prompted the idea to build new stations elsewhere with the main station built on the original site, creating the second Union Station.
On July 1, 1873, the city held a quiet affair to celebrate the opening to respect the death of contractor John Shedden, who died two months prior to its debut.
The station was designed by the chief engineer of GTR, E.P. Hannaford, who was inspired by English railway stations. Hannaford created a structure with three dominating towers; the tallest tower at the centre carried a clock. The second Union Station helped shape the city’s midVictorian skyline.
The Union Station we know today is actually the third station. After a series of renovations in the early 1890s, which entailed the creation of a seven-storey Romanesque building on Front St. becoming the main entrance to the facility, the station reopened in 1896.