Gunns Loop is a station and

turning loop A balloon loop, turning loop, or reversing loop ( North American Terminology) allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to shunt or stop. Balloon loops can be useful for passenger trains and unit freight trains. Bal ...

at the western terminus of the

512 St. Clair The 512 St. Clair is an east–west streetcar route in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It operates on St. Clair Avenue between St. Clair station on the Line 1 Yonge–University subway and Gunns ...

streetcar line of the

Toronto Transit Commission The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the public transport agency that operates bus, subway, streetcar, and paratransit services in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, some of which run into the Peel Region and York Region. It is the oldest and largest ...

(TTC). It is located at the northwest corner of St. Clair Avenue West and Gunns Road, a block west of

Keele Street Keele Street is a north–south road in Toronto, Vaughan and King in Ontario, Canada. It stretches , running from Bloor Street in Toronto to the Holland Marsh. South of Bloor Street, the roadway is today known as Parkside Drive, but was original ...

, in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

History

Prior to construction of the dedicated right-of-way, the terminus of the 512 St. Clair route had been at the Keele Loop, just north of St. Clair Avenue where Weston Road merges with Keele Street. The loop is named for nearby Gunns Road, which in turn is named after Gunns Limited, a

West Toronto West Toronto was a federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1904. It was located in the city of Toronto, in the province of Ontario. The district was created by the British North America Act of 1867 ...

abattoir founded by businessman Donald Gunn of

Beaverton, Ontario Beaverton is a community in Brock Township in the Regional Municipality of Durham, Ontario, Canada. History Beaverton was first settled in 1822. The settlement is located on Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Beaver River. It was called Calder's M ...

. The old loop was closed and service began to the new loop in 1981. Signs on westbound 512 St. Clair streetcars still indicate Keele as the destination, when they are actually terminating at Gunns.

Services

A small building provides washroom facilities for TTC operators. There is a platform and upgraded new design shelter for people waiting for streetcars, while bus passengers have a regular bus shelter. As well as being the terminus for the

streetcar, the loop is also served by the 189 Stockyards bus route which provides service farther west along St. Clair Avenue to Scarlett Road and south on

Keele Keele is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. It is approximately three miles (5 km) west of Newcastle-under-Lyme, and is close to the village of Silverdale. Keele lies on the A53 ...

and

High Park High Park is a municipal park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. High Park is a mixed recreational and natural park, with sporting facilities, cultural facilities, educational facilities, gardens, playgrounds and a zoo. One-third of the park remains ...

subway stations.

References

External links

Extend the 512 Streetcar to Jane Street
* {{TTCstations Toronto streetcar loops Railway stations in Canada opened in 1981