Construction may be finished, but cages remain
What’s up with those wire contraptions on Front St., that look better suited to a steel cage match for pro wrestlers than construction?
Anybody who uses Union Station or regularly drives along Front St. is painfully aware of how disruptive that construction on the historical station and the area around it has been over the past few years.
It seems at last to be winding down, with traffic lanes restored in both directions and a significant reduction in the dust, noise and machinery that made the locale so miserable.
But among the more curious leftovers are two steel cages squatting on the sidewalk on the south side of Front St., east of Bay St., an area swarming with tourists at this time of year.
George Mallia emailed to say “the work on Front St. between York and Yonge Streets seems to be over and has been for quite some time now.
“So where are there two large metal wire cages on the sidewalk?”
We went there and found the two cages in front of the Dominion Public Building on Front St., which the federal government recently sold to developers for $275 million.
The one near the corner of Front and Bay Sts. seems to serve no other purpose than as a barrier around a portable toilet, which wasn’t pressed into service while we were there.
The other has an orange plastic curtain strung up around its periphery, apparently to shield passersby from the very important equipment and activities within.
We peeked over the top and spotted apile of black garbage bags filled with something or other next to a plastic cart, a metal frame and a grille for who knows what.
Now, we have no doubt that the contents of the bags require a steel cage to safeguard the public, and that the outhouse must be protected from wags who might be tempted to tip it over.
But at this stage of the game, surely there’s a better place. Status: Steve Johnston, who deals with media for transportation services, sent us a note saying they belong to a contractor that is still working for the TTC. While the ongoing tasks may not be visible, Johnston said the contractor “will be moving these cages up and down the street as they perform the work.” Whatever it is, it must be top-secret. What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Send an email to jlakey@thestar.ca . Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.