HOGGS HOLLOW
DISASTER
Memorial
quilt, York Mills Subway station, Toronto
“Breaking
Ground”,
a dramatic quilt designed by Laurie Swim, vividly depicts the 1960
Hoggs Hollow disaster. On 17 March 1960 five Italian immigrant
workers died while constructing a watermain tunnel at Hoggs Hollow.
Working under
the Don
River, they were trapped in a cramped, dimly lit space filled with
fire, smoke and water. The accident sparked a public outcry over the
lack of safety standards in construction.
The
quilt is on display
on the mezzanine level of York Mills subway station, not far from the
site of the accident near
York Mills Rd. and Yonge St.