Change isn’t always easy, and building a project as transformational as the Scarborough Subway Extension certainly means big changes are coming to the existing landscape.  

Earlier this month, major construction started at the future Scarborough Centre Station site, marking a significant milestone for the project and this major transportation hub. Located next door to Scarborough Town Centre, Consilium Place and local and regional transit connections, the station will serve over 10,000 riders every morning during rush hour when complete.  

Last September, to prepare the future station site for major construction, we removed the Progress Avenue Bridge and the McCowan RT pedestrian bridge.  

When Metrolinx shared details with the community about the coming removals, the resulting online engagement was undeniable. Scarborough residents showed up on social media, sharing stories of their experiences and love for these nostalgic structures.  

Popular local social media account Scarborough Spots, acting as a conduit for the online chatter, highlighted the impact these pieces of pedestrian infrastructure had on the community that used them. One commenter even shared a memory of their marriage proposal on the Progress Avenue Bridge.  

Built in the 1980’s, the retro-futuristic bridges were similar in style and use, providing covered pedestrian connections to the McCowan RT Station and Scarborough Town Centre. Used routinely as a backdrop for photoshoots or as a well-worn path for getting to and from the movie theatre, these structures helped define this place within the ever-evolving borough.  

In response to community feedback, Metrolinx moved to salvage pieces of the canopy structures from the bridges, with an eye to potentially displaying or integrating them somewhere else in the community. Crews were able to remove sections of canopy and safely store them for future use. 

In collaboration with Scarborough Spots, we were then able to identify an enthusiastic local partner with a history of saving pieces of Scarborough’s transit past: the Toronto Zoo! 

For now, the sections of bridge canopy are being stored at the zoo with plans in the works for breathing new life into these nostalgic pieces of Scarborough.  

Stay tuned for more!