… and now for something completely different.

Like many of my photographer friends who are also unable to travel, I’ve been looking for new subjects to photograph close to home.. Back in early winter (before our current stay-at-home order) I started photographing the Toronto-York Subway Extension. On multiple early Sunday mornings, I drove up to the Highway 407 station and used it as my base to to photograph the six new subway stations which had opened in 2017, connecting Toronto to the outer suburbs. I had never been to these stations (having lived most of my Toronto life downtown/midtown and now the in west end) and I don't usually do this kind of photography but it was a good little project - getting me out of the house, challenging me to do photography I don't usually do and, hopefully, keeping my eye in.

This first image is the from track level in the wonderfully soaring York University station, normally one of the busiest on this extension. I purposely when before 8am on Sundays to minimize my contact with people, and I really enjoyed shooting the empty/near empty stations.

(Note: that bench is not centered on the tiles. I know this because it bothered me so much that I went back to reshoot this, only to realize it wasn't my fault!)

York University subway station. Toronto, Canada.

This image is part of a small series of images of the Toronto-York Subway Extension . I photographed early Sunday mornings, as the stations were opening, and only stayed a few hours each time, all before our current stay-at-home order came into effect.

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Tags:   Canada Ontario Subway TTC Toronto Toronto Transit Commission York University Station

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This is the Highway 407 TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) subway station, my base for shooting this series. I would arrive at 7:45am on Sunday mornings (before our current stay-at-home order), just as the station opened, and then visit other stations from there, so this is the station I got to know the best. It is one of the least used stations on the TTC, having been located pretty much in a no man's land. So... one of the least used stations, first thing on a Sunday morning and during COVID, when TTC ridership is at an all-time low - I pretty much always had the place completely to myself and had the joy of exploring and shooting what became my favourite station.

Highway 407 subway station. Toronto, Canada.

This image is part of a small series of images of the Toronto-York Subway Extension . I photographed early Sunday mornings, as the stations were opening, and only stayed a few hours each time, all before our current stay-at-home order came into effect.

Website | Blog | Instagram | YouTube

Tags:   Canada Highway 407 Station Ontario Subway TTC Toronto Toronto Transit Commission Vaughan

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Highway 407 Station again, this time showing off the lovely tile work.

According to the TTC in 2018 only 3,440 customers used this station on an average weekday (compared to Bloor-Yonge, the busiest station, with an average of 401,090 customers from two lines per weekday). With ridership at an all time low across the TTC these days, the numbers must now be minuscule.

Highway 407 subway station. Toronto, Canada.

This image is part of a small series of images of the Toronto-York Subway Extension . I photographed early Sunday mornings, as the stations were opening, and only stayed a few hours each time, all before our current stay-at-home order came into effect.

Website | Blog | Instagram | YouTube

Tags:   Canada Highway 407 Station Ontario Subway TTC Toronto Toronto Transit Commission Vaughan

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This is Pioneer Village station. I loved the warm browns of station with its calm low lighting. The art installation you can see at the upper left, which was meant to display user-programmed letters, is inactive (not surprisingly).

Pioneer Village TTC subway station. Toronto, Canada.

This image is part of a small series of images of the Toronto-York Subway Extension . I photographed early Sunday mornings, as the stations were opening, and only stayed a few hours each time, all before our current stay-at-home order came into effect.

Website | Blog | Instagram | YouTube

Tags:   Canada Ontario Pioneer Village Station Subway TTC Toronto Toronto Transit Commission

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The escalator down to (or up from) track level at the Highway 407 station.

Highway 407 subway station. Toronto, Canada.

This image is part of a small series of images of the Toronto-York Subway Extension . I photographed early Sunday mornings, as the stations were opening, and only stayed a few hours each time, all before our current stay-at-home order came into effect.

Website | Blog | Instagram | YouTube

Tags:   Canada Highway 407 Station Ontario Subway TTC Toronto Toronto Transit Commission Vaughan

© All Rights Reserved