Comments on: Everyone’s favourite concourse: the GO concourse, in the basement of Toronto Union Station. A daily visit for many, the bane of their existence for some. Often smelly, crowded, noisy from trains rumbling above, frequented by various solicitors, occasionally flooded (“Man the GO Ark!”) and more often than not full of the intoxicating smell of Cinnabons behind pumped out nearby. It’s quieter down here tonight as evening commuters keenly watch the departure boards for the platform number of their GO train or bus trip to appear. Once some unknown higher power posts that magic number, it’s off to the races through the maze of overhead walkways and staircases to get to the correct platform to board in time (don’t forget to stamp your 10-ride ticket or tap your Presto first, they don’t like it when you forget). The “t.o.night” being advertised by the ticket machines was a briefly popular evening commuter newspaper at the time, with a basic glazing over of local/national news, pop culture and current events mixed in with ads, games/puzzles, horoscopes and a somewhat amusing commuter shoutout section (I think it lasted until 2014-ish). Signage advises commuters, many set in their paper ticket ways, of the benefits and usage of the new Presto farecard system that the GO and Accenture staff at 130 Adelaide spent much time developing. The site of the original GO Transit commuter concourse was the present VIA arrivals area under the Great Hall (which can be seen in the 1976 movie Silver Streak, thinly disguised for AM Road, complete with GO’s ticket gates for pre-Proof-Of-Payment days). GO moved into this new concourse in 1979, build in the basement in the east end of Union Station that was once a postal handling facility. There were ticket gates here too (that can be seen in NFB’s “After the Axe” film) until they were removed when GO changed to the POP system in the mid-late 80′s. The GO concourse was a time capsule in itself, featuring 1970′s yellow, orange and brown earth tones, no shortage of round pillars supporting the trains rumbling just above the ceiling structure, and elevated walkway maze leading to various track platform stairways. Food vendors and aromas were in abundance, from the likes of McDonalds, Mr. Sub, Mmmuffins (Mmmmmmmmm), Dairy Queen, Mr. Sub and of course Cinnabon. The look and feel of the GO concourse remained largely unchanged until it was closed in mid-August 2015. GO passengers shifted to a new York Concourse, in order for the Bay Concourse to get a complete gutting and modernization. The retro Toronto nostalgia buff types and social influencers on the ‘grams would have have a field day down here if this relic in time still existed, alas, they’ll have to get their kicks over at Spadina subway station or Dupont instead.

By: Driver8666

Driver8666 — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:12:47 +0000

The wafting smell of Cinnabon should’ve met the legal definition of “torture”.

By: Jakob Mueller

Jakob Mueller — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:48:33 +0000

This is a great example of how a “mundane” photo can age like fine wine. This isn’t even that long ago, but what was basically “normal” for 36 years is now completely different, and it’s cool to see this again.