When Metrolinx’s Yonge North subway’s eight-kilometre extension goes into service after the Ontario Line is complete, it’ll be faster and easier for more commuters to travel between York Region and downtown Toronto.
As part of the $5.6 billion project, TTC’s Line 1 will extend north from Finch Station through to Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill, providing connections to the Richmond Hill GO train, the Highway 407 GO bus service as well as local bus routes at every station. So, some major benefits — but the project has some opposition.
Sam Cuda is one of many residents who have expressed concerns about the extension, including the project’s direct and indirect impacts on Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery.
According to Cuda, despite repeated assurances from Metrolinx and Catholic Cemeteries & Funeral Services (CCFS) that no burials would be disturbed and that there would be no tunnelling under burials, a closer look at their statements and plans suggests otherwise. For one, the Transit Corridor Lands buffer zone reportedly extends well into the cemetery, said Cuda.
“Over 200 burials appear to fall within this 30m zone—yet Metrolinx has neither confirmed the exact number nor provided transparency on whether families have been consulted,” Cuda wrote to Post City in an email statement on Thursday.
Cuda also brought up reports about delays in Scarborough due to tunnel-boring machine issues and soil instability.
“If Metrolinx miscalculated there, how can we trust their current assessments of soil, vibration, and ground stability within a cemetery?” he questioned.
He also referred to recent media coverage on how noise from the Ontario Line work is leaving locals restless. “Residents near the Queen-Spadina site describe relentless noise, war zone-like vibrations, and the erosion of quality of life caused by non-stop construction. If this is what’s occurring in an urban residential area, what assurances do we have that far more sensitive lands—specifically sacred burial grounds—will be protected under the YNSE project?”
But the issue goes far beyond the technicalities of construction and project execution. Cuda brought up the emotional and cultural impacts of the families who have loved ones resting at the cemetery — families who are expecting that these sacred grounds will be honoured and preserved.
“To disrupt such resting places, even unintentionally, would cause irreversible harm not only to the physical integrity of the site but also to the collective memory and dignity of those who have passed,” Cuda said. “These are not simply plots of land; they are memorials to generations past.”
In light of these concerns, Cuda is urging that all construction activities near the cemetery end until a complete, independent review of the environmental and cultural impacts is conducted and that Metrolinx releases an independent, verifiable study on vibration and noise impacts at the cemetery within the full 30 m buffer zone.
“Government agencies should review whether this project violates ethical, religious, or cultural protections for burial grounds” he added.
The Ontario Line — which will bring 15 new stations to the city and will run from Exhibition Place, through the heart of downtown, all the way to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road — has faced multiple challenges (similar to those experienced during the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT). It’s expected to be completed and operational by mid-2026.
