As I’ve said before, I live in the Jane-Finch corridor, near Jane and Finch in Toronto. I’ve been encouraged over the last few years that the city’s subway and transit system has expanded to more effectively include my area, which connects me and my family with greater ease to the centre of the city. The “Finch West” subway station is only a short bus ride away, and the new “Finch West LRT” will put put public transit only a short walk away. I’ve been using the Toronto Transit System for over four decades, and it’s great to see it growing to meet the needs of the new millennium.
Part of my interest in seen the construction, though, is seeing the interface between the city and nature. Several of my posts in this “Walking” series have already commented on that, and I am glad to see that the builders have made some effort to work it into their outlook. We saw these constructs of wood and protective mesh start to appear several months ago: labeled as TPZs (that’s Tee-Pee-Zed for a good Canadian), they mark out the areas where the trees are to be protected. Tree Protection Zone. Sounds ominous and official. I assume that everything else is up for grabs, but it’s good to see that they’ve protected some of older and more mature trees.
And I apologize for the red tinge to the picture. Sunrise again.
I understand that as part of the construction, they have to expand the road and churn up the grassy areas that have lined Finch. And I know it means that some of the growth along those sides will be destroyed. I hope that they compensate by planting new trees in other parts of the city, but the expanded transit system will be worth it. It will mean that more people can use the public transit system more effectively, and challenge our culture’s dependence on cars.
Distance Walked: 6.28 km
Total: 297.80
The Geographer's Corner 