Rejoice, Roncesvalles: the construction has finally come to a close
Up until this past weekend, the word “Roncesvalles” had basically been synonymous with “road construction,” or perhaps even “for the love of God, somebody help us.” Luckily for local residents, the seemingly everlasting roadwork came to a formal end on Saturday as the neighbourhood celebrated the closing of two years of construction and the opening of the renewed strip.
According to the CBC:
The newly paved streetscape in what has long been considered a cultural centre for Toronto’s Polish community was a cause for happiness for Martha Goodings, who has lived in the area for nearly three decades.
“I love it. I just couldn’t believe that we’ve ended up with so many trees, so many varieties,” she said. “Credit to the city, credit to the residents.”
Still, the 100 trees and new cycle paths framing the street are welcome additions that didn’t come without some grief for local businesses and residents.
“Some grief” is a nice euphemism for the construction noise and traffic snarls locals have been put through. The digging began in July 2009 and was supposed to be completed a little over a year later, but then a private contractor realized the streetcar lines would be too close to a natural gas line, requiring more digging and more noise. Still, it’s nice to see the street opened up—and with a freshly painted bike lane to boot.
• Roncesvalles renewal a relief for neighbourhood [CBC] • Roncesvalles’ revival celebrated with weekend festival [Inside Toronto]
