TTC officials can’t say when Pape Station repairs will continue

TORONTO – Transit officials won’t say when construction will continue at Pape Station.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) had been planning on temporarily closing the station from June 15 to 26 in order to expedite some of the renovations that are already a year behind schedule.

But a union dispute has forced the TTC to delay that closure.

“The union that does the tile and the floor and the ceiling work is on strike and so as a result of that we had to postpone the closure that had been planned,” TTC spokesperson Brad Ross said Thursday in an interview. “This is a strike that is completely out of our hands.”

The union workers are responsible for completing all the finishes in the station, including wall tiling, floors and stairs.

Terrazzo, Tile and Marble Guild of Ontario – the union responsible for the tiling – began the strike last Friday.

The renovations are part of the transit commission’s modernization of several stations including Pape, Lawrence, and most notably, Union Station.

The modernization of Pape Station also includes installing public art, an elevator for accessibility, a new bus bay and a separate entrance.

But when will the work get done? Ross says he won’t make any promises.

The closure had been intended to accelerate the renovation at Pape Station so it could be completed in 2013. When the union’s work stoppage is over, Ross said, the commission will revisit a possible closure of the station.

He would not put a specific date on a future closure.

Modernization work at Pape Stationwas supposed to be done in 2012, but according to Ross, unforeseen structural issues and some “below grade steel structure” underneath the station temporarily halted work.

He admits that commuting through a construction site can be aggravating for commuters.

“Yes, it has been frustrating and we really do appreciate the patience,” he said.

The union did not respond to requests for an interview.