Summary

Fairbank Station was constructed in 1892 by the Toronto Belt Line Railway while it was establishing a rapid transit route around the city, and simultaneously attempting to the develop the land in its northern reaches. Prior to operations, the Belt Line was leased to the Grand Trunk Railway who would carry out its operations while using its own equipment to do so. The railway intended to develop the surrounding land for “that large class that cannot afford expensive dwellings”, with the goal of cultivating a workforce for industries that were predicted to grow around the nearby junction with the Grand Trunk roughly one kilometer to the west. The first train arrived at Fairbank in July 1892.

The anticipated sales of real estate in the area failed to materialize, and service over the Belt Line ended just two years later in November 1894. The line quickly deteriorated after years of neglect, but in 1910 the section from Fairbank Junction to Mount Pleasant Road was revived by the Grand Trunk as a spur to directly access industries. Fairbank Station was presumably dismantled shortly thereafter. Freight service continued after the nationalization of the Grand Trunk and its subsequent merger into Canadian National in 1923. Freight service over the line ended by 1970, and the right-of-way has since been readapted into the York Beltline Trail.

  • A circa 1891 subdivision plan of Fairbank, showing the station near the top left. Courtesy of the Toronto Public Library Archives.
  • The only known photo of Fairbank Station, taken circa 1909 after the line had fallen into disrepair. Courtesy of the Toronto Public Library Archives.

Condensed Station Info:

Location:Served By:Current State:Date Built:Date Demolished:
Fairbank AvenueToronto Belt Line (1892 – 1894)Demolished18921910