119-630: Richmond Hill GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Richmond Hill , Ontario , Canada . It was the northern terminus of the Richmond Hill line train service from the service's inception in 1982 until the opening of Gormley GO Station on December 5, 2016. Of all the Richmond Hill line stations, this is the only station that has a reduced length platform which accommodates only up to an L8 consist,
238-405: A 24-hour Transit Safety Communications centre operated by Communications Operators. They are mainly responsible for taking calls from the public with regards to actionable complaints, dispatching special constables or relevant emergency services to all areas serviced by Metrolinx. On December 12, 1975, a westbound GO train collided with a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus that was stalled on
357-522: A coin struck by the Hudson's Bay Company during the 17th century with a value equal to the pelt of a male beaver – a "buck". Because of the appearance of the common loon on the back of the $ 1 coin that replaced the dollar bill in 1987, the word loonie was adopted in Canadian parlance to distinguish the Canadian dollar coin from the dollar bill. When the two-dollar coin was introduced in 1996,
476-472: A crossing at St. Clair and Midland Avenue. Nine passengers on the bus were killed and 20 others were injured. This was the worst accident in terms of loss of life in the history of the TTC and GO Transit systems. The level crossing was replaced by an overpass a few years later. Canadian dollar The Canadian dollar ( symbol : $ ; code : CAD ; French : dollar canadien ) is the currency of Canada. It
595-583: A cut in interest rates made by the Bank of Canada due to concerns about exports to the U.S. Due to its soaring value and new record highs at the time, the Canadian dollar was named the Canadian Newsmaker of the Year for 2007 by the Canadian edition of Time magazine. Since the late 2000s, the Canadian dollar has been valued at levels comparable to the years before its swift rise in 2007. For most of
714-681: A desire to assimilate their currencies with the American unit, but the imperial authorities in London still preferred sterling as the sole currency throughout the British Empire . The British North American provinces nonetheless gradually adopted currencies tied to the American dollar. In 1841, the Province of Canada adopted a new system based on the Halifax rating . The new Canadian pound
833-571: A division named ONxpress Operations Inc. which consists of Deutsche Bahn International Operations and Aecon Concessions. GO Transit primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area–the cities of Toronto and Hamilton and the surrounding regions of Halton , Peel , York and Durham . GO Transit's lines extend into the nearby Niagara and Waterloo Regions, the cities of Brantford and Peterborough , and Simcoe , Dufferin and Wellington counties —an area largely coextensive with
952-595: A fine under the Provincial Offences Act . GO Transit employs Transit Safety Officers, who are designated special constables that patrol Metrolinx properties, and are responsible for ensuring passenger safety and protection, enforcing relevant laws or by-laws, offering customer assistance and supporting local police, fire and ambulance, and promoting railway safety. Under the Police Services Act , Transit Safety Officers are appointed by
1071-416: A full-fledged network in its own right after 1989, feeding rail service and serving communities beyond the reach of existing trains. Near the end of 1982, Ontario Minister of Transportation and Communications James W. Snow announced the launch of GO-ALRT (Advanced Light Rail Transit), an interregional light rail transit program providing $ 2.6 billion (1980 dollars) of infrastructure. Although this plan
1190-405: A gap now exists with a bolder white T to enhance them. The primary corporate colour was known as "GO Green", matched the green on Ontario Highway signs, and was used on all vehicles, signage, and printed material. In 2013, GO introduced a two-tone colour scheme that changed the primary colour to a darker green, and added a second lighter apple green. The changes were made to better harmonize with
1309-482: A newly established facility in Vaughan , creating up to 30 new full-time jobs. GO Transit stations are designed to provide seamless and barrier-free connections between its trains and buses. They include amenities such as elevators, washrooms, parking, pay phones, ticket vending machines, ticket sale kiosks and automated teller machines . All GO stations have Presto card readers. Most bus terminals are also served with
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#17328008066861428-556: A passenger taps on and off with their credit card on a PRESTO card fare reader. Contactless credit cards can also be used to pay transit fares - by tapping on PRESTO fare readers - across the Greater Toronto Area and are eligible for the free transfer on those supporting transit services providers which is included in the cost of the GO Transit fare (where accepted). GO Trains use a " proof-of-payment " policy where
1547-612: A pilot program to test them was conducted in Pickering before they entered service on 8 September 1970. Later buses included a combination of single-door, suburban-type transit buses built by Orion Bus Industries and New Flyer , and single-level highway coaches built by Prevost Car and Motor Coach Industries (MCI, now a subsidiary of New Flyer). Today, GO Transit operates a combination of single-level coach buses and commuter-type double-decker buses . All buses are equipped with bike racks and are wheelchair accessible . Most of
1666-538: A pilot service to London, Ontario , with one train towards Toronto in the morning and one train returning to London in the evening. At this time, the Presto card cannot be used for such trips and riders must pre-purchase digital tickets in advance. Improvements are being made to Union Station , which is the busiest passenger transportation facility in Canada, and is expected to have its current passenger traffic double in
1785-450: A priority as it moves forward with The Big Move regional transportation plan. On an average weekday, GO runs 322 train trips carrying 206,167 riders, and 2,386 bus trips carrying 48,477 passengers. This adds up to 254,644 passengers throughout the entire system. In 2017, GO Transit ridership totalled 68.5 million, and if expansion plans are realized, is projected to total over 200 million by 2055. At least 91 per cent of
1904-474: A single rail line along Lake Ontario 's shoreline. GO Train service ran throughout the day from Oakville to Pickering with limited rush hour train service to Hamilton. The experiment proved to be extremely popular; GO Transit carried its first million riders during its first four months, and averaged 15,000 per day soon after. This line, now divided as the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines ,
2023-480: A single train line to seven lines. GO Transit has been constituted in a variety of public-sector configurations. Today, it is an operating division of Metrolinx , a provincial Crown agency with overall responsibility for integrative transportation planning within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and is projected to grow dramatically with electrification, increased frequency and new stations through
2142-593: A three-person crew: two operators control the train from the cab at the front end of the train and handle related operations, while a third crew member is the Customer Service Ambassador . Stationed in a designated car in the middle of each train, the Customer Service Ambassador operates the doors and wheelchair ramp , makes station stop announcements, and is dedicated to assisting customers on board. Alstom Transport
2261-591: A ticket sales booth or vending machine. As of 2016, the capital costs of building a GO Transit train station is about $ 50 to $ 75 million. Most GO stations include large commuter parking lots, some of which have recently included large parking structures, and also include onsite bus loops for buses making timed connections to GO Buses. Some GO train stations are shared with Union Pearson Express (commuter train services from Toronto Union Station to Pearson Airport ), Via Rail (Canada's national passenger rail services) and Amtrak (which offers passenger train service to
2380-419: A trainset consisting of eight Bombardier BiLevel Coaches and at least one locomotive. Beginning in the spring of 2015, the platform was scheduled to be extended to allow 12-car trains. A pedestrian bridge over Major Mackenzie Drive was built, and a new station building was planned but has not been built. The train layover facility in Richmond Hill was opened in 2014. The original Richmond Hill railway station
2499-407: A wartime measure, nickel was replaced by tombac in the 5¢ coin, which was changed in shape from round to dodecagonal . Chromium-plated steel was used for the 5¢ in 1944 and 1945 and between 1951 and 1954, after which nickel was readopted. The 5¢ returned to a round shape in 1963. In 1935, the 0.800 silver voyageur dollar was introduced. Production was maintained through 1967 with the exception of
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#17328008066862618-539: Is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario , Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto , GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven million across an area over 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) stretching from Kitchener in the west to Peterborough in the east, and from Barrie in
2737-625: Is a unified smart card -based payment system used throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Presto is a sister operating division of Metrolinx and the card can also be used on numerous local transit agencies in the GTHA such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and York Region Transit (YRT) as well as on OC Transpo in Ottawa. As of April 21, 2024, free transfers exist for all connecting local transit systems throughout
2856-457: Is abbreviated with the dollar sign $ . There is no standard disambiguating form, but the abbreviations Can$ , CA$ and C$ are frequently used for distinction from other dollar -denominated currencies (though C$ remains ambiguous with the Nicaraguan córdoba ). It is divided into 100 cents (¢). Owing to the image of a common loon on its reverse, the dollar coin, and sometimes
2975-405: Is also used by a number of other commuter railways across North America . They have a seating capacity of 162 and a standing capacity of 248 per coach, or 5,256 per train (maximum crush load). All upper levels of the coaches on rush hour trains are designated "Quiet Zones". The coaches are primarily hauled by MPI MPXpress series locomotives. The current model, the 4000- horsepower MP40PH-3C,
3094-425: Is cheaper for Canadian industries to purchase foreign material and businesses. The Bank of Canada currently has no specific target value for the Canadian dollar and has not intervened in foreign exchange markets since 1998. The Bank's official position is that market conditions should determine the worth of the Canadian dollar, although it occasionally makes minor attempts to influence its value. On world markets,
3213-537: Is currently undergoing a major expansion project to improve train service. The project will electrify the Lakeshore East , Barrie , and Stouffville lines, the Lakeshore West line as far as Burlington, the Kitchener line as far as Bramalea, and increase train frequency on various lines to 15 minutes or better on these corridors, with several new stations being built both within Toronto and throughout
3332-639: Is estimated to cost $ 4.9 billion and serve 30 million additional riders by 2031. Other possible future rail service extensions identified in GO Transit's 2020 plan include Niagara Region , Bolton , Brantford , Peterborough and Uxbridge . Metrolinx also announced plans in January 2011 to electrify the Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East and Kitchener rail lines, as well as the Union Pearson Express . In 2021, Metrolinx announced
3451-480: Is governed by the Currency Act , which sets out limits of: Retailers in Canada may refuse bank notes without breaking the law. According to legal guidelines, the method of payment has to be mutually agreed upon by the parties involved with the transactions. For example, stores may refuse $ 100 banknotes if they feel that would put them at risk of being counterfeit victims; however, official policy suggests that
3570-635: Is more powerful than its predecessor, the EMD F59PH . It is capable of pulling or pushing trains of 12 coaches instead of 10. More than 60 of these locomotives have been ordered since their introduction in 2006, with a further 16 types of an even more powerful model, the 5400-horsepower MP54AC, which can pull a full 12 car train more efficiently. Opposite the locomotive, trains are bookended by cab cars , which are coaches with driver controls incorporated into them. GO Transit upgraded their entire cab car rail fleet with newly designed, more crashworthy cab cars in
3689-400: Is not given back as change. The standard set of designs has Canadian symbols, usually wildlife, on the reverse, and an effigy of Charles III on the obverse . A large number of pennies, nickels, and dimes are in circulation bearing the effigy of Elizabeth II , and occasionally some depicting George VI can be found. It is also common for American coins to be found among circulation due to
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3808-422: Is only available directly from the mint, therefore seeing very little circulation), $ 1 ( loonie ), and $ 2 ( toonie ). The last 1¢ coin ( penny ) to be minted in Canada was struck on May 4, 2012, and distribution of the penny ceased on February 4, 2013. Ever since, the price for a cash transaction is rounded to the nearest five cents. The penny continues to be legal tender, although it is only accepted as payment and
3927-442: Is projected to roll out in phases between 2025 and 2030. The 10-year regional express rail plan will cost $ 13.5 billion and will require 150 kilometres (93 mi) of new track, including new bridges and tunnels. Starting January 1, 2025, the consortium ONxpress will take over the operation and maintenance from Alstom of the GO Transit train system in addition to introducing the improvements required for GO Expansion. ONxpress has
4046-402: Is responsible for providing train operations, taking over from Bombardier Transportation in 2021. GO trains achieve on-time performance of approximately 95 per cent, and a refund will be provided if a train is more than 15 minutes late, with some conditions. GO Bus service consists of a combination of routes, many of which stand in for train service when it is not operating and/or which extend
4165-616: Is the keystone corridor of GO Transit. Expansion of rail service continued in the 1970s and 1980s, aimed at developing ridership in with the introduction of the Georgetown (now Kitchener ) line in 1974 and the Richmond Hill line in 1978. The Milton GO Train line opened in 1981, followed by the Bradford (now Barrie ) and Stouffville lines a year later, establishing GO Transit's present-day service of seven rail corridors. Other than establishing new rail corridors, GO Transit introduced
4284-478: The 1963 election . The Canadian dollar returned to a fixed exchange rate regime in 1962 when its value was set at US$ 0.925 , where it remained until 1970. As an inflation -fighting measure, the Canadian dollar was allowed to float in 1970. Its value appreciated and it was worth more than the U.S. dollar for part of the 1970s. The high point was on April 25, 1974, when it reached US$ 1.0443 . The Canadian dollar fell in value against its American counterpart during
4403-579: The Bombardier BiLevel Coaches in 1979, in order to increase the number of passengers carried per train. These unique rail cars were developed in partnership with Bombardier Transportation . Also in 1979, the former Bay Street GO concourse at Union Station was built to accommodate these additional passengers. GO Bus service began on September 8, 1970, extending the original Lakeshore line to Hamilton and Oshawa, as well as providing service north to Newmarket and Barrie. It eventually became
4522-537: The GO Expansion , which is scheduled to be completed in phases through 2025–2032. Cities in and around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) expanded greatly during the 1950s, influenced by growth in immigration and industrialization. Much of the existing commuter service was provided by the Canadian National Railway (CN), which faced mounting pressure to expand its service beyond
4641-519: The GTHA . It will also bring all-day, two-way service to the inner portions of the Barrie, Kitchener and Stouffville lines. GO Transit will increase the number of train trips per week from 1,500 (as of 2015) to about 2,200 by 2020 and expand to 10,500 weekly trips upon completion. Most of the extra trips will be in off-peak hours and on weekends. The expanded services, new infrastructure and electrification
4760-589: The Highway 407 and Highway 403 corridors, providing service between Peel and York Regions. In 2012, GO ordered new Enviro500 double-decker units for its fleet. Designated as "Go-Anywhere" models, they have a redesigned front end, based on the Enviro400 (and which would later form the basis for the global Enviro500 MMC refreshed design), and a height of 4.1 metres (13 ft 5 + 7 ⁄ 16 in), 10 cm ( 3 + 15 ⁄ 16 in) lower than
4879-420: The Provincial Offences Act , imposes a $ 35 to $ 200 fine for fare evasion. Although children ages 0 to 12 years of age can ride fare-free on GO Transit, they may be required to show proof of age when getting a child Presto card. The GO Transit logo has remained largely unchanged since the agency was founded. The design was created by Gagnon/Valkus, a Montreal -based design firm that was also responsible for
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4998-602: The United Kingdom . These buses come in three different designs differing mainly in their size and height . All double deckers have a low-floor design and a wheelchair ramp at the front door. The first two batches of double deckers have a height of 4.2 metres (13 ft 9 + 3 ⁄ 8 in), too tall to meet many height standards set by the provincial Ministry of Transportation . Thus, they are restricted to routes which avoid low bridges and underpasses . In particular, they are found exclusively on routes on
5117-550: The chartered banks starting in the 1830s, by several pre- Confederation colonial governments (most notably the Province of Canada in 1866), and after confederation, by the Canadian government starting in 1870. Some municipalities also issued notes, most notably depression scrip during the 1930s. On July 3, 1934, with only 10 chartered banks still issuing notes, the Bank of Canada was founded. This new government agency became
5236-468: The technological boom of the 1990s that was centred in the United States, and was traded for as little as US$ 0.6179 on January 21, 2002, which was an all-time low. Since then, its value against all major currencies rose until 2013, due in part to high prices for commodities (especially oil ) that Canada exports. The Canadian dollar's value against the U.S. dollar rose sharply in 2007 because of
5355-629: The $ 5 and $ 10 denominations began circulation on November 12, 2013. Since 1935, all banknotes are printed by the Ottawa-based Canadian Bank Note Company under contract to the Bank of Canada. Previously, a second company, BA International (founded in 1866 as the British American Bank Note Company), shared printing duties. In 2011, BA International announced it would close its banknote printing business and cease printing banknotes at
5474-416: The 1853 act. Sterling coinage was made legal tender and all other silver coins were demonetized. The British government in principle allowed for a decimal coinage but nevertheless held out the hope that a sterling unit would be chosen under the name of "royal". However, in 1857, the decision was made to introduce a decimal coinage into the Province of Canada in conjunction with the U.S. dollar unit. Hence, when
5593-420: The 1¢ plated in copper and the others plated in cupro-nickel . In 2012, the multi-ply plated-steel technology was introduced for $ 1 and $ 2 coins as well. Also in that year mintage of the 1¢ coin ceased and its withdrawal from circulation began in 2013. The first paper money issued in Canada denominated in dollars were British Army bills, issued between 1813 and 1815. Canadian dollar banknotes were later issued by
5712-520: The British conquest of Canada in 1760, French coins gradually went out of use, and sou became a nickname for the halfpenny , which was similar in value to the French sou . Spanish dollars and U.S. dollars were also in use, and from 1841 to 1858, the exchange rate was fixed at $ 4 = £1 (or 400¢ = 240 d ). This made 25¢ equal to 15 d , or 30 halfpence ( trente sous ). After decimalization and
5831-506: The Canadian dollar as a stable alternative to the Icelandic króna . Canada was favoured due to its northern geography and similar resource-based economy, in addition to its relative economic stability. The Canadian ambassador to Iceland said that Iceland could adopt the currency; although Iceland ultimately decided not to move on with the proposal. Since 76.7% of Canada's exports go to the U.S., and 53.3% of imports into Canada come from
5950-404: The Canadian dollar have tended to correlate with shifts in oil prices, reflecting the Canadian dollar's status as a petrocurrency owing to Canada's significant oil exports. The Canadian dollar traded at a record high of US$ 2.78 in terms of American greenbacks on July 11, 1864, since the latter was inconvertible paper currency. However, the Canadian dollar remained close to par or 1:1 versus
6069-407: The Canadian dollar historically tended to move in tandem with the U.S. dollar. An apparently rising Canadian dollar (against the U.S. dollar) was decreasing against other international currencies; however, during the rise of the Canadian dollar between 2002 and 2013, it gained value against the U.S. dollar as well as other international currencies. In recent years, dramatic fluctuations in the value of
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#17328008066866188-463: The Canadian government's strong sovereign position, and the stability of the country's legal and political systems. The 1850s in Canada were a decade of debate over whether to adopt a £sd -based monetary system or a decimal monetary system based on the US dollar. The British North American provinces, for reasons of practicality in relation to the increasing trade with the neighbouring United States, had
6307-593: The Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police , with approval from the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services . In addition to By-law No. 2, they have the authority to enforce other certain federal and provincial laws. GO Transit also employs Provincial Offences Officers, known as Revenue Protection Officers, to enforce the proof-of-payment system. GO Transit operates
6426-515: The Dominion of Canada in 1873. Newfoundland went decimal in 1865, but unlike the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, it decided to adopt a unit based on the Spanish dollar rather than on the U.S. dollar, and there was a slight difference between these two units. The U.S. dollar was created in 1792 on the basis of the average weight of a selection of worn Spanish dollars. As such,
6545-426: The GO Transit network and designated as "Super-Lo", have an even lower height of 3.9 metres (12 ft 9 + 9 ⁄ 16 in), low enough to operate on virtually the entire GO bus network. They also have a longer length than previous orders, being 45-foot (13.72 m) long (the same as its coach buses), and dedicated space for luggage at the rear. The chassis for these vehicles are being locally assembled at
6664-562: The GO Transit network, under the GO Transit Rail Improvement Plan , or GO TRIP , started in the mid-2000s. C$ 1 billion was invested in multiple rail and bus projects, making it the largest commuter rail project in Canadian history. This was later dwarfed by a further slate of new GO infrastructure proposed in MoveOntario 2020 , the provincial transit plan announced by Premier Dalton McGuinty in
6783-413: The GTHA. - in many cases using a Presto card or contactless credit card and their associated mobile wallets (where accepted) - are included with the GO Transit fare. The Presto system allows passengers to load money on a reloadable card. Passengers pay their fare by "tapping" on and off on busses and trains. With each tap, the system calculates the fare for the ride, and it is deducted from the balance of
6902-546: The Greater Golden Horseshoe. Under the provincial charter, GO Transit is permitted to serve cities elsewhere in Ontario, but has no plans of doing so. In total, GO trains and buses serve a population of 7 million in an 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) area radiating in places more than 140 kilometres (87 mi) from downtown Toronto. Present extrema are Brantford and Kitchener to
7021-482: The Lakeshore West and East lines, which can be attributed to the almost continuous development along their corridors, as well as being the only two lines with two way, all day service since their inception. This is followed by the Milton line, carrying almost 14% of all ridership. Other corridors carry 4–11% of riders each. Fares on the network are based on a zone tariff set between two specified points by GO Transit, and
7140-508: The Lakeshore trains it ran between Hamilton in the west and Danforth in the east, to Toronto; however, CN lacked the financial and physical capital to do this. Real improved commuter service was not considered until the 1962 Metropolitan Toronto and Region Transportation Study, which examined land use and traffic in the newly created Metropolitan Toronto . The idea of GO Transit was created out of fear of becoming lost in years of planning; it
7259-610: The Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia united into a federation named Canada . As a result, their respective currencies were merged into a singular Canadian dollar. The Canadian Parliament passed the Uniform Currency Act in April 1871, tying up loose ends as to the currencies of the various provinces and replacing them with a common Canadian dollar. The gold standard was temporarily abandoned during World War I and definitively abolished on April 10, 1933. At
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#17328008066867378-498: The Province of Canada. Except for 1¢ coins struck in 1859, no more coins were issued until 1870, when production of the 5¢ and 10¢ was resumed and silver 25¢ and 50¢ were introduced. Between 1908 and 1919, sovereigns (legal tender in Canada for $ 4.86 + 2 ⁄ 3 ) were struck in Ottawa with a "C" mintmark. Canada produced its first gold dollar coins in 1912 in the form of $ 5 and $ 10. These coins were produced from 1912 to 1914. The obverse carries an image of King George V and on
7497-643: The Regional Express Rail plan, there are plans to eventually offer two-way, all-day 15-minute or better service on the central sections of the remaining five lines. Nevertheless, rush-hour service accounts for over 90 per cent of GO Train ridership. GO Transit's rolling stock uses push-pull equipment . Its passenger car fleet is composed entirely of Bombardier BiLevel Coaches built in Thunder Bay, Ontario . These double-decker coaches , which have an elongated-octagon shape, were designed in
7616-682: The Spanish dollar was worth slightly more than the U.S. dollar, and likewise, the Newfoundland dollar , until 1895, was worth slightly more than the Canadian dollar. The Colony of British Columbia adopted the British Columbia dollar as its currency in 1865, at par with the Canadian dollar. When British Columbia joined Canada as its sixth province in 1871, the Canadian dollar replaced the British Columbia dollar. In 1867,
7735-416: The U.S. dollar for the first time in 30 years, at US$ 1.0052. On November 7, 2007, it hit US$ 1.1024 during trading, a modern-day high after China announced it would diversify its US$ 1.43 trillion foreign exchange reserve away from the U.S. dollar. By November 30, however, the Canadian dollar was once again at par with the U.S. dollar, and on December 4, the dollar had retreated back to US$ 0.98, through
7854-523: The U.S. dollar fractional coinage. In response to British concerns, in 1853, an act of the Parliament of the Province of Canada introduced the gold standard into the colony, based on both the British gold sovereign and the American gold eagle coins . This gold standard was introduced with the gold sovereign being legal tender at £1 = US$ 4.86 + 2 ⁄ 3 . No coinage was provided for under
7973-424: The U.S., Canadians are interested in the value of their currency mainly against the U.S. dollar. Although domestic concerns arise when the dollar trades much lower than its U.S. counterpart, there is also concern among exporters when the dollar appreciates quickly. A rise in the value of the dollar increases the price of Canadian exports to the U.S. On the other hand, there are advantages to a rising dollar, in that it
8092-496: The United States). GO also connects with fifteen other municipal transit providers, such as the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and York Region Transit (YRT), as well as several long-distance intercity bus services, such as Ontario Northland , Megabus , TOK Coachlines and United States-bound Greyhound Lines services. Metrolinx calls many of these transfer points between services mobility hubs , and it has made them
8211-595: The addition of a cab at the end, are still operating, with 15 old cab cars being rebuilt and reintroduced for expanded GO service. GO has always owned its locomotives and coaches, but its trackage used to be owned entirely by Canada's two major commercial railways: the large majority by the Canadian National Railway (CN) and the remainder (the current Milton line) by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP, now CPKC ). In 1988, as part of expanding service east of Pickering, GO built its first section of self-owned purpose-built trackage. From 1998 until 2009, GO owned only six per cent of
8330-403: The banknotes indefinitely. As of January 1, 2021, the $ 1, $ 2, $ 25, $ 500 and $ 1000 notes issued by the Bank of Canada are no longer legal tender. All other current and prior Canadian dollar banknotes issued by the Bank of Canada remain as legal tender in Canada. However, commercial transactions may legally be settled in any manner agreed by the parties involved. Legal tender of Canadian coinage
8449-549: The branding of Metrolinx and its other operating divisions, as well as to improve its display digitally. GO Transit By-law No. 2 is a document of rules and regulations governing actions of passengers and employees while on GO Transit property, which includes land, facilities, trains, buses and other structures. Besides issues relating to fares, the by-law specifies permissible and prohibited actions such as staying in designated safe areas, commercial or distribution activities, parking and other personal actions that promote or endanger
8568-407: The card. The card can also be linked to a credit or debit card and set on autoload, so that it automatically adds a certain amount of money as soon as the balance decreases past a certain level. Since August 11, 2022, contactless credit/debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Interac) & their associated mobile wallets such as Apple and Google Pay have been accepted on GO Transit in which
8687-422: The close proximity to the United States and the fact that the sizes and colours of the coins are similar. Commemorative coins with differing reverses are also issued on an irregular basis, most often quarters. 50¢ coins are rarely found in circulation; they are often collected and not regularly used in day-to-day transactions in most provinces. In 1858, bronze 1¢ and 0.925 silver 5¢, 10¢ and 20¢ coins were issued by
8806-467: The coin). The French pronunciation of cent (pronounced similarly to English as /sɛnt/ or /sɛn/ , not like the word for hundred, /sɑ̃/ or /sã/ ) is generally used for the subdivision; sou is another, informal, term for 1¢. 25¢ coins in Quebec French are often called trente sous ("thirty cents") because of a series of changes in terminology, currencies, and exchange rates. After
8925-418: The continued strength of the Canadian economy and the U.S. currency's weakness on world markets. During trading on September 20, 2007, it met the U.S. dollar at parity for the first time since November 25, 1976. Inflation in the value of the Canadian dollar has been fairly low since the 1990s. In 2007 the Canadian dollar rebounded, soaring 23% in value. On September 28, 2007, the Canadian dollar closed above
9044-491: The corporate identities of Canadian National and Hydro-Québec . The firm's team wanted to create a unified logo using the initials of the Government of Ontario ("GO"), via two circles with a T incorporated into it. Lead designer Frank Fox described the creation of the logo as "a happy accident. More or less, we had this feeling among us that this couldn't be true. We went off trying many other solutions, but nothing else
9163-462: The denominations shown in dollars and cents. In 1860, the colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia followed the Province of Canada in adopting a decimal system based on the U.S. dollar unit. In 1871, Prince Edward Island went decimal within the U.S. dollar unit and introduced coins in the denomination of 1 cent. However, the currency of Prince Edward Island was absorbed into the Canadian system shortly afterwards, when Prince Edward Island joined
9282-468: The derivative word toonie ("two loonies") became the common word for it in Canadian English slang. In French , the currency is also called le dollar ; Canadian French slang terms include piastre or piasse (the original word used in 18th-century French to translate "dollar") and huard (equivalent to loonie , since huard is French for "loon," the bird appearing on
9401-500: The end of 2012; since then, the Canadian Bank Note Company has been the sole printer of Canadian banknotes. All banknotes from series prior to the current polymer series are now considered unfit for circulation due to their lacking of any modern security features, such as a metallic stripe. Financial institutions must return the banknotes to the Bank of Canada, which will then destroy them. Individuals may keep
9520-591: The exceptions are situated within Toronto proper. There are also 16 bus terminals served by GO buses, many of which provide local transit connections, as well as intermediate stops and ticket agencies . The first buses operated by GO Transit, a suburban variant of the GM New Look bus , were unveiled at Queen's Park on August 11, 1970, about a month before commencing operations on its expanded services east, west and north of Toronto. Operated by Gray Coach ,
9639-461: The fare system is run on an " honour system ". Passengers are required to carry a valid GO paper or digital ticket or pass, a tapped-in credit/debit card/mobile wallet or Presto card to prove that they paid for their fares. Passengers may be subject to random fare inspections at any time during travel. This system is designed to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Enforcement of this system is carried out via Metrolinx's By-law No. 2 that, by reference to
9758-515: The gold or silver US dollar of the time. Unlike other currencies in the Bretton Woods system , whose values were fixed , the Canadian dollar was allowed to float from 1950 to 1962. Between 1952 and 1960, the Canadian dollar traded at a slight premium over the U.S. dollar, reaching a high of US$ 1.0614 on August 20, 1957. The Canadian dollar fell considerably after 1960, and this contributed to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker 's defeat in
9877-433: The leadup to the 2007 provincial election . With re-investment in regional transit, GO experienced growth in its train network: all day service was restored to Oshawa in 2006 and Aldershot in 2007; service was expanded to Barrie South in 2007, to Lincolnville in 2008, to Kitchener in 2011, to Gormley in 2016, to Bloomington in 2021, and an excursion train operated on summer weekends to Niagara Falls . This service
9996-423: The mid-1970s for GO Transit by Hawker Siddeley Canada as a more efficient replacement for GO's original single-deck coaches, built by the same company. Later coaches were manufactured by Can-Car / UTDC and the most recent coaches are produced by Bombardier Transportation and since acquired by Alstom , which now owns the designs and manufacturing facilities. GO Transit owns 979 BiLevel Coaches. This type of coach
10115-445: The morning and outbound in the afternoons and early evenings), with off-peak service on these routes being provided solely by buses . Since then, hourly off-peak train service or better has been added to 5 of these lines. The present off-peak service is as follows: The Richmond Hill and Milton lines continue to operate during rush hours only, although there has been an increasing number of trips on these lines in recent years. As part of
10234-467: The name Metrolinx. GO Transit continued as an operating division alongside two other major initiatives: the Union Pearson Express and Presto card . As part of the 2011 provincial election , Premier Dalton McGuinty made a campaign pledge to provide two-way, full-day train service on all corridors. Metrolinx continues to plan for this service expansion, which is now known as GO Expansion . Part of Metrolinx's Big Move regional transportation plan , it
10353-404: The nearest train line, with the 40s and 50s reserved for express services along the 407 ETR corridor which does not have a corresponding train line. GO Transit's commuter rail services ( reporting mark GOT ) carry the large majority of its overall ridership. Until 2012, five GO Train lines operated only during weekday rush hour periods in the peak direction (inbound towards Union Station in
10472-403: The new decimal coins were introduced in 1858, the colony's currency became aligned with the U.S. currency, although the British gold sovereign continued to remain legal tender at the rate of £1 = Can$ 4.86 + 2 ⁄ 3 right up until the 1990s. In 1859, Canadian colonial postage stamps were issued with decimal denominations for the first time. In 1861, Canadian postage stamps were issued with
10591-423: The next 10 to 15 years. Improvements underway include a new roof and glass atrium covering the platforms and railway tracks, new passenger concourses, additional staircases and vertical access points and general visual improvements to the station. Other longer term options such as a second downtown station and/or connections to a future Relief Subway Line are also being studied to meet future demand. GO Transit
10710-496: The north to Niagara Falls in the south. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 56,036,900. GO Transit operates diesel-powered double-decker trains and coach buses , on routes that connect with all local and some long-distance inter-city transit services in its service area. GO Transit began regular passenger service on May 23, 1967, as a part of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation . Since then, it has grown from
10829-415: The notes have occurred since 1935, with new series introduced in 1937, 1954, 1970, 1986, and 2001. In June 2011, newly designed notes printed on a polymer substrate, as opposed to cotton fibre, were announced; the first of these polymer notes, the $ 100 bill, began circulation on November 14, 2011, the $ 50 bill began circulation on March 26, 2012, the $ 20 denomination began circulation on November 7, 2012, and
10948-419: The older buses in the fleet are 45-foot (13.72 m), single-level D4500CT coach buses built by Motor Coach Industries , which can seat 57 people and features a platform lift . The first models of this type entered service in 2001 and orders have continued until 2015. In April 2008, GO began operating 43-foot (13.11 m) Enviro 500 double-decker buses built by British manufacturer Alexander Dennis in
11067-436: The outbreak of World War II , the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar was fixed at Can$ 1.10 = US$ 1.00. This was changed to parity in 1946. In 1949, sterling was devalued and Canada followed, returning to a peg of Can$ 1.10 = US$ 1.00. However, Canada allowed its dollar to float in 1950, whereupon the currency rose to a slight premium over the U.S. dollar for the next decade. But the Canadian dollar fell sharply after 1960 before it
11186-562: The previous models. The lower height allows these buses to meet many more clearance standards as a result and are used on a wider variety of routes, including those that travel on Highway 401 . Three additional batches of "Go-Anywhere" Enviro500s were ordered until 2015. Despite the lower height, these buses are still too high to fit in a number of GO terminals, namely Hamilton , Yorkdale , York Mills , and Union Station . Beginning in 2016, GO Transit began placing further orders of Enviro500 double-deckers. These buses, designed specifically for
11305-501: The province would re-assume funding responsibility for GO Transit two years later, and this was completed with the abolition of the Greater Toronto Services Board on January 1, 2002. The Greater Toronto Transportation Authority was created in 2006, with the responsibilities of co-ordinating, planning, financing and developing integrated transit in the GTHA. This agency was merged with GO Transit in 2009 under
11424-409: The public and the visually unappealing ones were melted. In 1920, the size of the 1¢ was reduced and the silver fineness of the 5¢, 10¢, 25¢ and 50¢ coins was reduced to 0.800 silver/.200 copper. This composition was maintained for the 10¢, 25¢ and 50¢ piece through 1966, but the debasement of the 5¢ piece continued in 1922 with the silver 5¢ being entirely replaced by a larger nickel coin. In 1942, as
11543-482: The railway trackage on which it operated. Starting in 2009, Metrolinx incrementally acquired further trackage from the two commercial railways in order to improve GO service. As of 2014, Metrolinx has complete ownership of the Barrie, Stouffville and Lakeshore East lines, and a majority of the Lakeshore West, Richmond Hill, and Kitchener lines. CPKC still owns most of the Milton line. This puts Metrolinx ownership at 69 percent of GO Transit's trackage. Each train runs with
11662-498: The reach of train service to communities beyond their terminal. Other GO buses are independent of rail services, such as the Highway 407 series of routes, which provides an orbital-type service that encircles Toronto proper and makes connections between all train lines. There are also routes that serve Pearson International Airport and seasonal destinations such as several colleges and universities. The vast majority of GO train stations have connecting GO bus service, of which almost all
11781-456: The retailers should evaluate the impact of that approach. In the case that no mutually acceptable form of payment can be found for the tender, the parties involved should seek legal advice. Canadian dollars, especially coins, are accepted by some businesses in the northernmost cities of the United States and in many Canadian snowbird enclaves, just as U.S. dollars are accepted by some Canadian businesses. In 2012, Iceland considered adopting
11900-610: The reverse is a shield with the arms of the Dominion of Canada. Gold from the Klondike River valley in the Yukon accounts for much of the gold in the coins. Two years into the coin's production World War I began and production of the coins stopped in favour of tighter control over Canadian gold reserves. Most of the 1914 coins produced never reached circulation at the time and some were stored for more than 75 years until being sold off in 2012. The high quality specimens were sold to
12019-422: The safety of passengers. It covers items like paying fares, parking, general behaviour, fines and rule enforcement. These rules can be enforced by a "proper authority" which is defined as "an employee or agent of GO Transit wearing a GO Transit uniform [or] carrying an identification card issued by GO Transit, a GO Transit Special Constable, or a municipal police officer". Any contravention of the by-law can result in
12138-573: The sole issuer of all federal notes. In 1935, it issued its first series of notes in denominations of $ 1, $ 2, $ 5, $ 10, $ 20, $ 25, $ 50, $ 100, $ 500 and $ 1000. The $ 25 note was a commemorative issue, released to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V . In 1944, the chartered banks were prohibited from issuing their own currency, with the Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal among the last to issue notes. Significant design changes to
12257-587: The summer of 2015, incorporating an improved visibility, safety features and comfort for train crews. Rolling stock is maintained at the Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility , located west of Mimico station in Toronto and at the newer Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility . The Willowbrook facility occupies the Willowbrook Yard, a historical freight yard established by Grand Trunk Railway in 1910. GO Transit acquired
12376-526: The train ridership is to and from Union Station in downtown Toronto, while about 70% of all bus passengers travel to and from the City of Toronto. The average trip taken by a passenger is 33.5 kilometres (20.8 mi) long. Most GO Transit commuters have a private vehicle available to them for their commute, but choose to use GO Transit instead. About 80% of train commuters and 60% of bus commuters choose GO Transit over driving. Over half of GO's ridership occurs on
12495-471: The type of passenger using the ticket. Tickets are sold for single trip, or passes for one day or one month. Tickets can be used on a GO train, bus, or a combination of both. They can be purchased at train stations, bus terminals and ticket agencies. Passenger categories exist for adults, youth, students, seniors and groups. As of March 9, 2019, passengers aged 12 and under can ride GO Transit fare-free. The Presto card , available on all GO trains and buses,
12614-457: The unit of currency itself, may be referred to as the loonie by English-speaking Canadians and foreign exchange traders and analysts. Accounting for approximately 2% of all global reserves, as of January 2024 the Canadian dollar is the fifth-most held reserve currency in the world, behind the U.S. dollar , euro , yen , and sterling . The Canadian dollar is popular with central banks because of Canada's relative economic soundness,
12733-426: The war years between 1939 and 1945. In 1967 both 0.800 silver/0.200 copper and, later that year, 0.500 silver/.500 copper 10¢ and 25¢ coins were issued. 1968 saw further debasement: the 0.500 fine silver dimes and quarters were completely replaced by nickel ones mid-year. All 1968 50¢ and $ 1 coins were reduced in size and coined only in pure nickel. Thus, 1968 marked the last year in which any circulating silver coinage
12852-539: The west; Orangeville , Barrie to the north; Peterborough and Newcastle to the east; and Niagara Falls to the south. The GO system map shows seven train lines (or corridors), all departing from Toronto's Union Station and mostly named respectively after the outer terminus (or former terminus) of train service: Although colours are assigned in a consistent fashion to each line in all official media, in colloquial parlance lines are only ever referred to by their names. Buses are numbered in blocks of 10, corresponding to
12971-525: The withdrawal of halfpenny coins, the nickname sou began to be used for the 1¢ coin , but the idiom trente sous for 25¢ endured. Coins are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint 's facilities in Winnipeg , Manitoba , and Ottawa , Ontario , in denominations of 5¢ ( nickel ), 10¢ ( dime ), 25¢ ( quarter ), 50¢ ( 50¢ piece ) (though the 50¢ piece is no longer distributed to banks and
13090-555: The yard from Canadian National sometime after its inception, and built and expanded the Willowbrook facility there to maintain the expanding fleet. GO Transit built a second maintenance facility covering 500,000 square feet (4.6 hectares) in Whitby to accommodate additional trains for its upcoming Regional Express Rail project, and was completed by the end of 2017. A limited number of old cab cars, which resembled standard coaches with
13209-496: Was "approached as a test, but recognized to be a permanent service". In May 1965, the government of Ontario granted permission to proceed with the launch of Canada's first specially-designed commuter rail service, at a cost of CA$ 9.2 million ($ 86 million in 2023 dollars). Government of Ontario Transit (later shortened to "GO Transit") started as a three-year long experiment on May 23, 1967, running single-deck trains powered by diesel locomotives in push-pull configuration on
13328-626: Was a single storey clapboard building, located on the north side of Centre Street East, just a short distance north of the current station. Built in 1906 by the James Bay Railway , the station was closed by Canadian National Railway in 1968 and the building was relocated in 1979 to Richmond Green , at Elgin Mills Road and Leslie Street, to serve as a clubhouse for local minor soccer teams. York Region Transit: GO Transit: GO Transit [REDACTED] GO Transit
13447-421: Was again pegged in 1962 at Can$ 1.00 = US$ 0.925. This was sometimes pejoratively referred to as the "Diefenbuck" or the "Diefendollar", after the then Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker . This peg lasted until 1970, with the currency's value being floated since then. Canadian English , similar to American English , used the slang term " buck " for a former paper dollar. The Canadian origin of this term derives from
13566-422: Was also extended to Burlington on the Lakeshore West line in 1992. In a series of cost-cutting measures, then– Ontario Premier Bob Rae announced a "temporary" reduction in spending on services, causing all of the expansions of the 1990s to be reduced or eliminated. All day train service was restored from Burlington to Whitby, and peak service was finally brought to Oshawa in 2000. A large initiative to expand
13685-486: Was equal to four US dollars (92.88 grains gold), making £1 sterling equal to £1.4 s .4 d . Canadian. Thus, the new Canadian pound was worth 16 shillings and 5.3 pence sterling. In 1851, the Parliament of the Province of Canada passed an act for the purposes of introducing a sterling-based unit, with decimal fractional coinage. The idea was that the decimal coins would correspond to exact amounts in relation to
13804-399: Was good enough." The logo has since become woven into the cityscape of Toronto, and is a prominent identifier of the agency. As one graphic design expert stated, it achieved "an enviable goal that most graphic designers strive to accomplish with any logo they design". Only one minor revision was made after the original version was unveiled: while the G and O used to touch each other,
13923-438: Was issued in Canada. In 1982, the 1¢ coin was changed to dodecagonal, and the 5¢ was further debased to a cupro-nickel alloy. In 1987 a $ 1 coin struck in aureate-plated nickel was introduced. A bimetallic $ 2 coin followed in 1996. In 1997, copper-plated zinc replaced bronze in the 1¢, and it returned to a round shape. This was followed, in 2000, by the introduction of even cheaper plated-steel 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢ and 50¢ coins, with
14042-546: Was later expanded to all year round. GO Transit also went through three major reconfigurations. In January 1997, the province announced it would transfer funding responsibility for GO Transit to GTHA municipalities. The Greater Toronto Services Board, composed of regional municipality chairs, city mayors and municipal councillors, was created as a municipal agency in January 1999, and GO Transit became an arm of this agency in August 1999. However, then-Premier Mike Harris announced
14161-415: Was not implemented, certain key objectives from it were established in other ways: additional stations were built, all-day service to Whitby and Burlington was established and networks of buses and trains interconnected the network. GO extended limited rush hour train service on the Bradford, Georgetown and both Lakeshore lines and began offering off-peak service on the Milton line in 1990. Train service
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