On May 16, 1853, the first passenger train steamed out of Toronto from a wooden depot that was located near the site of today s Union Station. Over the next century, the railways had a profound impact on the geography and economic fortunes of Toronto and helped transform it from a provincial town into the commercial centre of Canada. To the dismay of many, the railways also swallowed up prime real estate on Toronto s waterfront and isolated its citizens from Lake Ontario, the city s most scenic asset. The struggle between the promoters of unfettered railway development and crusaders for...