BUILDING
THE SUBWAY
Painting
in TTC subway station at Bloor and Yonge Streets, Toronto
When Toronto’s first
subway line on Yonge Street opened in
1954, the
Toronto Building and Construction Trades Council and the Toronto
Transit Commission joined to honour the memory of those who lost
their lives while it was being built. Rudyard Kipling’s lines
accompany the figure of a sturdy subway construction worker with a
jackhammer:
It is
their
care in all the ages
to take
the
buffet and cushion the shock.
It is
their
care that the gear engages;
it is
their
care that the switches lock.
It is
their
care that the wheels run truly . . . .
The
painting is by Edwin McCormick. The plaque honours “the men
who
worked so faithfully to build our subway system and in grateful
memory to those who lost their lives during its
construction”. The black and white photo eloquently reflects
some of the mood of the construction site.
Photo Credit (colour): Alex Frank