Lavender Creek/Geomatics

Lavender Creek's Unique Rail History: The St. Clair Cutoff

LOCATION OF ABANDONED RAIL LINE

south side of Lavender Creek ravine (between Gunns Rd. and Symes Rd.)

adjacent to industries on Glen Scarlett Rd.

BELT LINE RAILWAY (1892-1894)

originally part of the Belt Line Railway's Humber Loop

this steam train line only lasted two years

Humber Loop started at Union Station

was approximately 7 kilomotres long

passed through Swansea, Bloor West Village, and West Toronto Junction

TORONTO SUBURBAN RAILWAY (1917-1931)

twenty three years later, an electric railway ran from west Toronto to Guelph from April 14, 1917 to August 15, 1931

one of the most spectacular interurban railways in Canada at that time

known as Toronto Suburban Railway: Toronto-Guelph Interurban Line (April 14, 1917 to December 17, 1923)

became the Canadian National Electric Railways (Toronto Suburban District), Toronto-Guelph Line (December 17, 1923 to August 15, 1931)

urban places on route included Lambton, Dixie, Streetsville, Cooksville, Georgetown, and Acton

in 1925, CNER purchased a 125 acre amusement park, Eldorado Park (northwest corner of Steeles Ave. and Creditview Rd.)

Eldorado Park still exists

HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR CUTOFF SECTION (1924-1931)

an extension to the Toronto Suburban Railway's, Guelph Line

construction began in 1924

very high construction standards at that time

an attempt to move interurban lines further into Toronto's core

freight service began on this section, February 1925

passenger service began on this section, December 1925

train station located on the northeast corner of Keele St. and St. Clair Ave. W.