How To Split A City: The Story of the Spadina Expressway

​The Spadina Expressway was a highway proposed during Toronto’s post-war building frenzy. It would would have cut through the center of the city, threatening to split Toronto in two. Ravine lands would be ripped up and replaced with interchanges. Thousands of homes would be destroyed to widen roadways.

​By the 1960s, protests erupted around the city. The Spadina Expressway became a fault line in local politics, the subject of a 30-year battle over the very idea of Toronto. This tour will tell its full story: its proposal, its protest, its failure, and its psychic impact on Toronto. As we walk the ghost of a downtown highway so close to construction, we will ask ourselves the question: who are cities for?

​Location: The tour begins on the grass in front of the Toronto Archives, on the north-east corner of Spadina & Macpherson, a short walk from Dupont Station. It concludes at Eglinton West Station.

​Price: This tour operates on a pay-what-you-can basis. There is no up-front cost or booking fee. You are responsible for your own subway fare. At the end of the tour, you can pay whatever you feel the tour was worth (cash or card both accepted). Most guests choose to pay between $25 - $40 per person.

Accessibility: This tour involves two trips up and down stairs and long walks in ravines, which can be muddy or bumpy. There are alternative step-free routes.