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Sometime early next year, if Metrolinx is to be believed, the first train on the Finch West LRT will roll down the tracks.
The light rail line first envisioned under the David Miller regime, then endlessly delayed, will stretch from Finch West station all the way to Humber College.
It’s the quiet middle child of Metrolinx’s Toronto developments, overshadowed by more prominent projects closer to the downtown core like the Ontario Line and Eglinton Crosstown.
Cutting across swaths of the city underserved by generations of planners and politicians—from Jane and Finch to Rexdale—the 18-stop line promises to reduce commuting times and spur transit-oriented development.
Already, malls are being redeveloped, apartment towers that were once reliable sources of cheap housing are changing hands, and rents are on the rise.
Meanwhile, all along Finch Avenue West, construction has snarled traffic and made pedestrian crossings chaotic and outright dangerous.
How will the project change life in the city's northwest? Who will it bring in and who will it push out? The Finch West Issue is our deep dive into a corner of Toronto on the eve of transformation.
Welcome to Finch West.
Photography by Christopher Katsarov Luna / The Local
Fall 2023

The Finch West Issue

From a wide-angle look at the region’s sorry transit history to an intimate ride-along on the 36 bus, from an examination of the pandemic's legacy in northwest Toronto to a profile of a forgotten workers’ housing co-op in Rexdale—for the next two weeks we'll be publishing stories from Finch West on the verge of a massive transformation.

In this issue

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Editor's Letter by Nicholas Hune-Brown

Welcome to Finch West

The LRT doesn’t open until next year at the earliest, but it’s already transforming Toronto’s northwest.

Special Series
Special Series

First 100 Days

The first 100 days are crucial for a new mayor. In our new column, we’re following Olivia Chow’s first months in office—tracking her progress (or lack thereof) on election promises, who’s supporting and who’s impeding her, and everything else you need to know from City Hall.

In this issue

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Column by Neville Park

A Return to Pre-Budget Consultations

68 Days In—budget chief Shelley Carroll on how this budget’s process will be different, her reluctance to raise property taxes, and how to negotiate with the feds and the province.

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Column by Neville Park

Olivia Chow’s Financial Plan Takes Form

50 Days In - If the mayor can’t wrest funds from the province or feds, or convince council to approve new revenue tools, her tenure will look little different from Tory’s.

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Column by Neville Park

A Leftward Tilt for the City’s Committees

34 Days In—Olivia Chow makes council appointments, and the by-election churn continues.

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Column by Neville Park

What Can Olivia Chow Do About Climate Change?

24 days in—How a city mayor can tackle a global problem, a literal train wreck in Scarborough, and what’s next at Toronto City Hall.

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Column by Neville Park

Tracking Olivia Chow’s First 100 Days as Toronto Mayor

9 days in—a shelter and homelessness crisis reaches city hall, Olivia Chow's first council meeting, and drinking in (some) parks.

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