The Toronto and York Radial Railway (T&YRR) Metropolitan line ran along Yonge Street through Oak Ridges, featuring a major power-generating station, repair bard, and recreational Park at Bond Lake. Operating from the late1890s to 1930, this electric railway powered the local area, as well as hosting a popular amusement park, and connected Toronto to Lake Simcoe.
The Bond Lake Powerhouse & Park: The Metropolitan Railway purchased a farm at Bond Lake for a power line to supply the line. It became Ontario's first "electric park", featuring a picnic pavilion, a merry-go-round, as well as boating, that drew thousands of visitors in the early 1900s.
A branch line, the Schomberg and Aurora Railway, often called "the Annie Rooney" (see my blog of Jan. 9th) connected with the main Radial line in the Bond Lake/Oak Ridges Area.
Infrastructure legacy: The remains of the old powerhouse foundation can still be found near Bond Lake.
Photos by Barry Wallace
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Barry Wallace
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