TTC considering renaming Dundas Subway Station after local university

Toronto’s transit agency is considering plans to rename Dundas Subway Station after the nearby university, years after the city decided to rename the street and then paused the plan.

A report to be considered by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) recommends approving a partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University to rename Dundas Subway Station.

The station, located at Yonge and Dundas streets, is named after the former Henry Dundas, who was singled out for his role in delaying the abolition of the British salve trade.

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Dundas, a key minister in the British government, amended a 1792 resolution to endorse gradual rather than immediate abolition of the slave trade.

His name was on a list of several people removed from landmarks around Ontario after global anti-racism protests sparked by the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis.

The City of Toronto eventually paused the work to rebrand Dundas Street, named after the same man, but has removed his name from the city’s central square and a library.

Now, the city is considering greenlighting the renaming of Dundas Subway Station to be TMU Station.

Putting the move in place now would save money, the report for the TTC suggested, by including the change in new signage being made for the as-yet-unscheduled opening of the Finch West LRT.

“There is a time-sensitive and unique opportunity to incorporate the new name at minimal incremental expense and without disruption to the customer experience, by aligning this station renaming with the roll-out of customer information changes for the new Line 6 Finch West,” the report said.

“Should the Board approve the recommendations below, work would begin immediately… Delaying this decision would result in incrementally higher costs in the future.”