By Ashley Karen
Be a part of transit history! Here’s your chance to make your mark on a project that is going to transform how we move over the region.
The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension is going to bring the Eglinton Crosstown LRT another nine kilometers farther west, making a continuous rapid transit line along Eglinton Avenue from Scarborough all the way to Mississauga. It is going to reduce journey times and assist people leave their cars at home by bringing 50,000 more people and 31,000 more jobs within walking distance to transit.
Now, Metrolinx is inviting you to assist them name the TBMs that are going to excavate the tunnels for this significant project! They’re called TBMs (“tunnel boring machines”) and there are two of them for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, so you can have twice the fun coming up with offers.
With the machines anticipated to reach on site in January 2022, there’s a bit of time to get creative.
The naming contest’s winner will have the chance to attend a photo-op before Metrolinx launch the machines into the ground to begin boring.
The contest will be done in two phases. Here’s how it will work:
Phase 1 (closed)
Starting October 19, submit your name ideas using the submission form below. Let us know why you picked that name or what it means to you.
Looking for inspiration? Think about local landmarks, special places, local history – something important to you!
Name submissions closed at 4 PM on November 18.
Phase 2 (open)
A judging panel will make a shortlist from all the submissions received. The judging panel is going to select the names based on relevance, rationale and significance to the project and area.
We’ll then invite you to come back and vote on the top picks.
Voting will close on December 22, 2021.
Phase 2 is now open!
You can vote for your favorite entry from the shortlisted names, chose for their creativity, relevance and significance to the project area. Read about the rationales behind the names and vote for your favorite below.
- Scarlett and Ren: “The roads where the tunnel boring machines will enter/exit. (Ren is short for Renforth).”
- Squirrel and Beaver: “Common species in Canada that also dig tunnels.”
- Tobi & Sauga: “Short forms for Etobicoke and Mississauga.”
- Rexy and Renny: “Rexy since extension mostly in Rexdale. Renny for Renforth where the line terminates.”
- Richie and Rosie: “A majority of the ECWE tunneled portion will go through the Richview neighborhood. Rosie is named after LaRose avenue, from the LaRose family who owned and farmed the majority of the land on Eglinton between Scarlett and Kipling Ave for decades.”
To vote and receive further details, please click here.
