APRIL 22, 2026

Location, Location, Location...

Photo 2026-04-22, 1 28 04 PM.jpg
 
AnnetteMeetsJane said:
That map is wishful thinking for a preservation exercise. It doesn't bear much relationship to real life. I don't think that there is a single Chinese-related business south of Sullivan and the whole area is shrinking towards Spadina/Dundas as the Chinese population ages out or moves to Markham.
Even the Chinatown BIA put their placemarkers on Huron N. of Dundas, not on Spadina near Queen.
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The Chinatown Land Trust surveyed the area and reported at the time of the Chinatown public consultation that most of the underutilised land had already been bought up by developers. The area around Q-S will be hotels and maybe some tech offices, not mom and pop stores.
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Unless there are solid plans to noticeably expand Chinatown to the south where its presence could be felt just south of Queen Street, I think naming the station Chinatown is not very accurate and could get confusing to those not familiar with the city. If the station was located on Dundas, it would have been a no-brainer.
Unfortunately, many small businesses in Chinatown have closed down or moved to the suburbs, so it seems like Chinatown is in a bit of a decline and unlikely that it will grow to the south.

There have been talks from neighbourhood associations and BIAs about not naming it Chinatown for various reasons. Garment District is a contender due to the history of the area (there is a large thimble at the corner of Richmond and Spadina to represent that), and currently there is a large concentration of textile and beadery stores on Queen to the west and a large concentration of clothing stores to the east.
Another option is to name it simply Queen West.
 
As I mentioned before somewhere that the names of Queen and Spadina have been used for other stations, so I can see the reluctance of using them again...but that doesn't stop them from using Queen-Spadina which would be unique to this designation.

...Chinatown makes me think it's stops at Dundas and Spadina. >.<
 
Tourists are often confused by the Fashion District name, expecting a lot of clothes shops or a mall. When I explain that this is an area where clothing used to be made they look underwhelmed. I usually end up directing them to the vintage clothes stores in Kensington Market...
 
Either Garment District or Fashion District would only speak to the historical uses of the area. But would be confusing for people looking to buy garments or fashion.

The Chinatown name, while on the border will add prominence to the Chinatown area and likely instill efforts to further protect it (as it constantly comes under risk of gentrification). This is much needed as everyone above has pointed out with "Chinese" businesses and people largely moving into the suburbs.
 
adys123 said:
Either Garment District or Fashion District would only speak to the historical uses of the area. But would be confusing for people looking to buy garments or fashion.

The Chinatown name, while on the border will add prominence to the Chinatown area and likely instill efforts to further protect it (as it constantly comes under risk of gentrification). This is much needed as everyone above has pointed out with "Chinese" businesses and people largely moving into the suburbs.
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Some clothing is still made in the Fashion District. Plenty of clothing is still sold there. Plus, there are fashionable restaurants. It works. Using "Chinatown" for the station name is not geographically or culturally accurate.

It's also debatable whether Chinatown needs to be protected in its current form. It came to exist because of the discrimination that Chinese Canadians faced and for other reasons which are decreasingly current. Urban neighbourhoods need to evolve. Trying to keep something going that has lost its steam can lead to stagnation and decay.

I fully support efforts to preserve Chinatown's history, but the notion that you have to protect an ethnic enclave from gradual demographic changes seems misguided.
 
junctionist said:
It should have been called Fashion District station with the name of the main intersection below the station name on signage at platform level.
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Queen and Spadina is no more the Fashion District than it is Chinatown, at one time both Richmond and King Street at Spadina were full of findings, fabric, cutters and sewers. If you needed to buy fabric by the bolt or a thousand matching buttons you could buy it all there.

I personally like that we celebrate the Chinese community that helped build this city and hope the artwork in the station recognizes the importance of Chinatown and ties the station to its name, much like the streetcar gates do on Spadina.
 
LUVIT! said:
I have lived in Toronto for quite a few decades and really couldn't figure out where the fashion was in this area? Oh wait it was Fabricland!
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Back in the 80s all those warehouses were full of sewing rooms, Capital Findings was a giant leather and findings wholesaler on King, there was also king fabric, and about 10 shops in a row that sold ribbons and lace. You could get clothing fabrics, upholstery fabrics, and 100s of colours of and qualities of velvet from around the world… it was awesome.

But again it’s all gone, and the fashion on Queen Street is no longer any different than your local shopping mall, so the station name would be very confusing, if you say Chinatown to anyone they know the big historical one is Spadina.
 
I do recall the fabric shops of course. However I never thought of the area as 'fashionable' even in my youth. I did think it was 'hip and bohemian' though. I live in Leslieville now which I've heard being described (by others not me) as 'Homeless chic' quote unquote.
 
Jimvee said:
Back in the 80s all those warehouses were full of sewing rooms, Capital Findings was a giant leather and findings wholesaler on King, there was also king fabric, and about 10 shops in a row that sold ribbons and lace. You could get clothing fabrics, upholstery fabrics, and 100s of colours of and qualities of velvet from around the world… it was awesome.

But again it’s all gone, and the fashion on Queen Street is no longer any different than your local shopping mall, so the station name would be very confusing, if you say Chinatown to anyone they know the big historical one is Spadina.
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Spadina and Richmond. Maybe they will have to change the statues.
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See https://nuvomagazine.com/style/a-look-back-at-torontos-fashion-district
 
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