Stretching across seven boroughs, Greater Weston Mount Dennis (GWMD) in northwest Toronto carries historical significance. At one point a large manufacturing hub, GWMD was bustling with industrial development and boasted 25 acres of farmland just north of Eglinton.
Today, GWMD’s legacy will evolve as three new transit lines and 27,000 residential units are introduced over the next few decades across Weston, Mount Dennis, Rustic, Rockcliffe-Smythe, Beechborough-Greenbook, Keelesdale-Eglinton West and Weston-Pelham Park.
Read more about the three major transit projects below and how they will connect GWMD and surrounding neighbourhoods to the rest of the city.
Approximate location of Greater Weston Mount Dennis upon completion of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT West Extension, and the St. Clair-Old Weston Go Station. Base Map of Ontario’s Priority Transit Projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region by Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
1. The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT)
With 25 stations and stops stretching across 19 kilometers, the Crosstown is projected to move people 60% faster than the existing bus services and handle 10 times as many passengers, making it one of Toronto’s most transit-connected neighbourhoods.
2. The Crosstown West Extension
The approved 9.2-kilometre Eglinton Crosstown West Extension (ECWE) will bring even more rapid transit to the area, with three of its stations passing through Weston and Mount Dennis. This extension will connect with various local and regional transit options, including UP Express, GO Transit rail services, TTC bus services, and MiWay and GO Transit bus services along the 18-km Mississauga Transitway.
Tunneling is currently underway, and once completed, it will create a continuous rapid transit line stretching from Scarborough, through midtown Toronto, and into Mississauga. Ontario is also considering an extension to the ECWE terminus at Renforth to Pearson International Airport, further enhancing connectivity and potentially offering more employment opportunities for residents in the future.
3. St. Clair-Old Weston Go Station
As part of the SmartTrack Station program, St. Clair-Old Weston GO Station will be located on Union Street, north of St. Clair Avenue West, between Bloor GO Station and the future Mount Dennis GO Station on the Kitchener line. It will feature two new station buildings, bike parking, two pedestrian tunnels connecting the east and west platforms, and connections to Gunns Road and St. Clair Ave West.
The new stations are also projected to bring approximately 110,000 new daily riders by 2031 to the rail network and reduce congestion on the roads and emissions throughout the region.
Together, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the Crosstown West Extension Line, and the St. Clair-Old Weston station will fully connect Greater Weston Mount Dennis to a much larger city radius. The additional 27,000 residential units will also spur real estate redevelopment in the broader neighbourhood. Check out our companion blog post on development coming to the region.
Image sources for article from Metrolinx and Infrastructure Ontario
About Greater Weston Mount Dennis
Greater Weston Mount Dennis is an inner suburb west of Toronto and is comprised of seven neighbourhood improvement areas. GWMD consists of Weston, Mount Dennis, Rustic, Rockcliffe-Smythe, Beechborough-Greenbook, Keelesdale-Eglinton West and Weston-Pelham Park.
About the ILEO Initiative
To learn more about how United Way Greater Toronto, BMO and other private, public and community partners are working together to ensure the benefits of this development flow to existing residents check out the Inclusive Local Economic Opportunity Initiative (ILEO).