Ontario awards construction contract to join venture AtkinsRéalis, Bird Construction, Hatch Ltd for East Harbour Transit Hub project

The province of Ontario, Canada, has awarded a contract to the joint venture of AtkinsRéalis, Bird Construction and Hatch Ltd for the construction of its East Harbour Transit Hub. The province says this transit hub will help to improve access to transit for residents and support more than 50,000 jobs in the area. It will also help to deliver faster and more convenient transit for people across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and will connect transit users to both GO Transit and the Ontario Line. 

“The investments we are making in transit and infrastructure are helping fight gridlock and speed up commutes for millions of people across Ontario, including the 100,000 transit users who are expected to use the East Harbour Transit Hub every day,” said Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria. “By making these investments, we are also supporting thousands of good-paying jobs in Ontario’s construction sector at a time when, in the face of U.S. tariffs that are taking direct aim at Canada’s economy, it’s never been more important to help keep our workers on the job.” 

Once complete, the hub is expected to serve approximately 100,000 daily riders, split between the Ontario Line and GO Transit. The hub is part of the government’s plan to make public transit in the GTHA more convenient, helping divert as many as 14,000 people from Union Station during rush hour peaks and reducing congestion at the station by up to 14 per cent. 

“We need to build more homes near transit,” said Canada Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. “And with this investment, the community surrounding East Harbour Transit Hub will see the addition of approximately 4,000 residential units.” 

The East Harbour Transit Hub, located immediately east of the Don Valley Parkway and south of Eastern Avenue, will serve the Riverdale, Riverside and Leslieville communities. 

“People depend on public transit to be fast, reliable and get them where they need to go. Riders will now enjoy a better public transit experience,” said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. “The East Harbour Transit Hub will serve 100,000 people per day on the Ontario Line and GO Transit, resulting in less crowding at Union Station. We are working together to build a better transit system for Torontonians.”