Two Weeks Later

July 29, 2024 - Two weeks ago, Toronto was hit with around 98 mm of rain which flooded roads, buildings and caused an estimated $1 Billion worth of damage. On that Tuesday, I was at my work as a camp counselor for a camp which focuses on teaching kids urban independence and giving them looks at all the unique neighbourhoods around Toronto. Our days are very much outdoor, taking groups of kids to different corners of the city by TTC. So it was while I had to accompany and teach a group of kids about cities and Toronto that the 'Great Flood of 2024' happened, and we got a front-row seat. These are some of my thoughts on the aftermath, and what I saw happen that day.

I'm pretty young, so even though I was alive and going to school during the flood in 2013 which was slightly worse than this year's, I was probably more focused on Pokémon cards than what was going on in the news at the time other than seeing that image of a GO train flooded in the Don Valley. This was the first time I have seen this much rain fall on Toronto.

At the beginning of the day around 9:30 AM, I found myself at St. Patrick subway station, where the concourse was beginning to flood after only around half an hour of rain, but before the station was closed to passengers. Not only was water coming in through the stairways to street level, but from cracks in the wall and through vents. The water looked to be ankle deep at some points. It was at this point that TTC service on the street was starting to be affected. The streetcars seemed to be endlessly backed up and walking was the only option for myself and the kids in my group. We spent the morning in the safety of the AGO, where the workers were extremely friendly to our camp even though there was a multitude of children from different programs in the gallery getting out of the rain. As the afternoon came and the rain cleared, we tried to get downtown but once there we found complete chaos. I was not aware of just how many people would be backed up as a result of the subway shut down under University Avenue and the closure of Union Station. When we were kicked off the train at King, there were so many people on the platform and in the concourse with absolutely no direction from any TTC officials in a situation that could only be called extremely dangerous. There were so many people attempting to get off the platforms that the tiny stairs up to the concourse were jammed and people were forced to wait back on the platform almost teetering off the edges. Once in the concourse, it was completely rammed with people - those who were leaving the trains and those who were coming into the station. Finally making it out of that crowd, the street was packed with cars and people going every direction - chaos is once again the only word to describe that short period of time where a couple key transportation corridors were out of commission.

I used to be obsessed with this docuseries which covered the London Underground - the people who worked in the stations, drove the trains, and planned the service. What was most enlightening from that show was the clear dedication to service and how they worked within those parameters. Recent trips to London confirmed this. There is a way higher active presence of station staff on the Underground, and they do everything from wandering the platforms ensuring cleanliness, controlling the flow of passengers in busy situations, or minding the station garden. Throughout the show it was clear that this setup of multiple active station staff worked very well when an emergency or rush hour chaos occured. In fact, even if it was faulty sometimes, the active station staff made me wonder why the TTC does not take this approach. During the chaos of the flood at King Station, when trains were turning back and no one knew what was going on, there were no collectors or TTC staff on the platform or outside the booth in the concourse. There was no one managing the crush level crowds with a megaphone or ensuring people stood back from the edge of the platform before the next train came in. I heard that recently there was a policy change by the TTC to encourage station collectors to leave their booths and be more active around the station. I have not seen this happen yet. Collectors are very good right now at one thing in particular and that is giving directions and answering questions from passengers.

A couple weeks later, the flood truely has left me perplexed on why systems like the TTC don't take more active roles in station activity so that they can not only be more prepared for emergencies like the flood but for everyday quality of life for passengers.