A water main break in Toronto’s Weston neighbourhood has led to two large sinkholes on a busy roadway.
Water started rushing from a church near Weston Road and Church Street sometime before 7:30 a.m.
The water combined with snow and slush build-up on the curbs as it streamed south down Weston Road toward Lawrence Avenue.
Less than a block away, a heavy stream of water started gushing from underneath the roadway and cascaded between two buildings before eventually draining into the nearby Humber River.
The 16-inch break forced crews to shut off water along Weston Road, between Lawrence Avenue and Highway 401, while they work on a repair.
It’s not clear how long the water will be shut off in the neighbourhood. Some water mains in the area are said to be more than 100 years old, which has hampered their efforts.
“It’s like being in the movies, actually,” resident Dahl Crunvwell said with a laugh.
“I come out because I clear the park a lot, at about quarter to six, and I looked over and I could see all the water gushing out and cars coming through the holes and getting stuck.”
Larry Penny said he realized something was off when he woke up.
“When I got up this morning to use the washroom, there was no water… I came outside and said, ‘Oh my god,’” he said.
“I saw all the water going down between the two buildings and into the park.”
The steady stream of water is being blamed for two sinkholes opening up near the Weston and Church intersection. City crews have already begun digging up the road to repair the pipe.
Police have asked motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area in the meantime.
