Early Bus Service on Dundas Cost 15 Cents per Trip
Vehicles of Islington Bus Services parked on northwest corner of Bloor St. W. and Islington Av. in 1927. L to R: J. Russell Fife, Unknown, Vernon Bell (Courtesy: Etobicoke Historical Society)
Many Torontonians today feel some level of dissatisfaction with their transit service, but there’s little doubt that our service would seem extraordinarily good to people living along Dundas St. W. in Etobicoke in 1920.
The Toronto Suburban Railway had opened an electric rail line in 1917 from Keele Street, across Etobicoke, and beyond, but they only offered four trains daily. When J. Russell Fife launched his Islington Bus Services on September 7, 1921, residents along Dundas were delighted. Initially he offered a “jitney service” between Keele St. and Cordova Av. using the small bus you see in the centre of the above photo. The bus made 12 complete round trips daily, excluding Sundays. Passengers simply flagged down the driver when they wanted on or off. The fare was 15¢. Vernon Bell of Islington was one of their drivers and may have been a partner. Russell’s brother, Melvyn, was also involved in the business.
By 1924, this bus service had been extended west to Six Points, and the business had acquired the two large Gotfredson buses shown above. This allowed them to increase service, but municipal pressure led them to lower the fare to 10¢.
In June 1927, Islington Bus Services announced they were shutting down their bus line temporarily, citing the deplorable condition of Dundas Street as the reason, but also asking the municipalities to add a bonus to their fares as was done for the TTC in some locations. This did, however, prove to be the end of Islington Bus Services.
The society page of the Toronto Star on April 18, 1928 reported that Russell and his mother had just returned to Canada from a seven month visit to California. Russell’s poor health may have been the reason for their extended trip as he died of “myocardial degeneration” on November 26, 1932 in Strathroy, Ontario (his birthplace) at the young age of 34.
The demise of Islington Bus Services led to a battle among residents, the TTC and municipal governments on who should provide bus service along Dundas St. W. By 1928, a private company named Maple Leaf Coach Lines was operating a half-hourly bus service from Keele to Six Points. Another year later, this company was purchased by the TTC and then transferred to their Gray Coach Lines division - a suburban bus operator. When Metropolitan Toronto was formed on January 1, 1954, the Gray Coaches on Dundas Street and other suburban routes were replaced by “red” city buses.
Researched & Written by Denise Harris, originally published by the Etobicoke Guardian and reprinted with permission.
The Toronto Suburban Railway had opened an electric rail line in 1917 from Keele Street, across Etobicoke, and beyond, but they only offered four trains daily. When J. Russell Fife launched his Islington Bus Services on September 7, 1921, residents along Dundas were delighted. Initially he offered a “jitney service” between Keele St. and Cordova Av. using the small bus you see in the centre of the above photo. The bus made 12 complete round trips daily, excluding Sundays. Passengers simply flagged down the driver when they wanted on or off. The fare was 15¢. Vernon Bell of Islington was one of their drivers and may have been a partner. Russell’s brother, Melvyn, was also involved in the business.
By 1924, this bus service had been extended west to Six Points, and the business had acquired the two large Gotfredson buses shown above. This allowed them to increase service, but municipal pressure led them to lower the fare to 10¢.
In June 1927, Islington Bus Services announced they were shutting down their bus line temporarily, citing the deplorable condition of Dundas Street as the reason, but also asking the municipalities to add a bonus to their fares as was done for the TTC in some locations. This did, however, prove to be the end of Islington Bus Services.
The society page of the Toronto Star on April 18, 1928 reported that Russell and his mother had just returned to Canada from a seven month visit to California. Russell’s poor health may have been the reason for their extended trip as he died of “myocardial degeneration” on November 26, 1932 in Strathroy, Ontario (his birthplace) at the young age of 34.
The demise of Islington Bus Services led to a battle among residents, the TTC and municipal governments on who should provide bus service along Dundas St. W. By 1928, a private company named Maple Leaf Coach Lines was operating a half-hourly bus service from Keele to Six Points. Another year later, this company was purchased by the TTC and then transferred to their Gray Coach Lines division - a suburban bus operator. When Metropolitan Toronto was formed on January 1, 1954, the Gray Coaches on Dundas Street and other suburban routes were replaced by “red” city buses.
Researched & Written by Denise Harris, originally published by the Etobicoke Guardian and reprinted with permission.