Whats the history of Union Station?
Toronto’s very first railway station was a shed on Front Street, where the current Union Station is now. It was built by the Northern Railway and was used starting on May 16, 1853, with the first-ever departure of a train from Toronto. In 1858, a large shed-like building (now referred to as the First Union Station) was built on the west side of York Street further south, and was shared by both the Northern and the Great Western Railway. In 1866, the Great Western built its own station on Yonge Street at The Esplanade. The Northern decided to build a larger station, on the northeast corner of Simcoe Street and The Esplanade. This Second Union Station opened on July 1, 1873 and was expanded in 1894. The current, much larger Union Station opened on August 6, 1927, on empty land the City had acquired after the fire of 1904 destroyed the commercial buildings that had been on the site.
