Toronto Mayor Rob Ford celebrated subways Monday with the completion of the first link of the York-Spadina subway extension.
The celebration comes one year after work crews began using tunnel boring machines to dig twin tunnels west from Downsview Station to a new Sheppard West station, near Keele Street.
So far, work crews have bored 1.6 kilomtres in each direction, and are now working under Keele Street to create a subway line that will join Toronto and York region, with stops at Finch West, York University, Steeles West and Highway 407, before ending at the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre.
Ford joined Conservative MP Julian Fantino and York region representatives to mark the progress.
"I expect this line to be in service for 100 years. No other -- I say no other -- form of transit is as cost effective or as useful over the long term," Ford said.
The line will eventually be 8.6-kilometres long and will create new business opportunities in York Region, said York Region chairman Bill Fisch.
"Anything you can imagine for a downtown core, it will rival, I hate to say, it will rival the downtown core of Toronto when this is said and done," said Fisch.
The new line is scheduled to open for service at the end of 2015.
Ford used the event as an opportunity to promote his pro-subway platform, saying he continues to support subways and will run the next election on the issue.
With files from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson
