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| A subterranean metropolis: This conceptual X-ray of a downtown Toronto intersection reveals the climate-controlled PATH network and the subway lines that thrive directly beneath the city’s frozen streets. |
How have I not heard of this in all my years? I’ve been to Toronto more times than I can count, especially back in my younger days when I was behind the wheel for a transport company. Back then, it was all about the delivery—hit the dock, drop the load, and get moving. Time was money, and I never stopped for anything else.
But now that I’m retired, I finally have the time to explore. What I discovered in the PATH totally blew me away. I never even knew there was a PATH!
As it turns out, I wasn't the only one focused on deliveries. This massive 30-kilometre network actually started back in 1900 with the T. Eaton Co. They built the very first tunnel just to move merchandise between their main store and their bargain annex without having to brave the Toronto cold. What began as a simple way to move goods has transformed into the world's largest underground shopping complex, connecting over 75 buildings and 1,200 shops. While I was stuck in traffic on the surface for all those years, an entire "secret city" was humming right beneath me...
As it turns out, I wasn't the only one focused on deliveries. This massive 30-kilometre network actually started back in 1900 with the T. Eaton Co. They built the very first tunnel just to move merchandise between their main store and their bargain annex without having to brave the Toronto cold. What began as a simple way to move goods has transformed into the world's largest underground shopping complex, connecting over 75 buildings and 1,200 shops. While I was stuck in traffic on the surface for all those years, an entire "secret city" was humming right beneath me...
The Empire Beneath Our Boots
Imagine standing on a street corner in downtown Toronto during a mid-February blizzard. While the wind whips between skyscrapers and the sidewalks disappear under a blanket of white, there is a secret thriving just 6 metres (20 feet) beneath your boots.
This is the PATH—a climate-controlled empire that feels more like a science-fiction colony than a shopping mall. For over 45 years, it has served as a subterranean society for office workers and travelers alike. It is a world where the sun never shines, but the heating is always on, and the snow simply doesn't exist.
What started in 1900 as a single humble tunnel built by the T. Eaton Co. has mutated into a record-breaking labyrinth of glass, marble, and steel. Today, it is an economic engine generating $1.7 billion in annual sales and $271 million in annual tax revenue, allowing over 200,000 daily commuters to traverse the city core in their shirtsleeves while the world above freezes.
Engineering the Invisible City
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| The Winter Escape rendition: A frozen streetscape giving way to the golden, climate-controlled luxury of the PATH. |
The 50 mm (2 inch) Gap: During the construction of the North-West PATH tunnel near Union Station, engineers had to thread a massive walkway through a gap of just 50 mm (approx. 2 inches) between the existing city sewers and the roof of the subway tunnels.
Utility Relocation: To clear a path for pedestrians, crews often have to move over 25 different types of utilities, including high-voltage electrical lines, fiber optics, and the city's massive steam-heating pipes.
The Siphon Solution: In one of the most technical "tight-squeezes" in the network, a custom stainless steel sewer siphon only 6 mm (0.23 inches) thick had to be designed just to fit between a PATH floor and the subway roof below.
The Moving Staircases: The network relies on a complex web of elevators and escalators to move a population the size of a mid-sized city between the three different underground layers.
By the Numbers: A Global Giant
- 30 km (18.6 miles): The total length of the continuous underground pedestrian network.
- 371,600 square meters (4 million square feet): The staggering amount of retail space hidden beneath the streets.
- 1,200: The number of shops, restaurants, and service providers operating in the tunnels.
- 4,600: The estimated number of jobs located directly within the PATH network.
- 75+: Individual buildings and office towers connected to the system.
- 200,000+: The number of business-day commuters who use the PATH to avoid the elements.
- $1.7 Billion: The estimated annual retail sales generated by the "invisible" mall.
- 6: Major TTC subway stations that act as "gateways" to the underground city.
- 6 metres (20 feet): The approximate depth of the main tunnel network below the street surface.
Sofistikateit Visual Archive
"The PATH Network" — Field Research Footage
The PATH is officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest underground shopping complex on the planet—a literal city beneath the city.
Global Comparison: Toronto vs. The World
While many cities fight the elements with indoor networks, the PATH stands alone in its subterranean scale. Here is how Toronto compares to other world-record holders as of December 2025:
Toronto (The PATH) vs. Montreal (RÉSO): While Montreal’s RÉSO is often cited as a rival at 32 km (20 miles) in length, Toronto’s PATH maintains the official Guinness World Record for the most concentrated retail space, housing over 1,200 storefronts in a single, continuous underground complex.
Toronto (Underground) vs. Minneapolis (Skyway): Readers often confuse the two, but they are engineering opposites. While Toronto is a 6-metre (20-foot) deep subterranean city, Minneapolis holds the record for the world’s largest skyway system—a network of glass bridges suspended at the second-story level.
The New Global Record (Riyadh): For years, Minneapolis held the title for the longest skyway, but as of February 2025, the KAFD Skyway Network in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has officially taken the crown with a continuous length of 15.46 km (9.6 miles).
The Chicago Pedway: In comparison to Toronto’s 30 km, Chicago’s "Pedway" is a smaller cousin, covering only about 8 km (5 miles) of underground tunnels.
Resources:
City of Toronto. (2025). PATH Downtown Pedestrian Walkway Facts and Figures.
Toronto Financial District BIA. (2025). PATH Network History, Economic Impact, and Daily Usage.
Guinness World Records. (2025). Largest Underground Shopping Mall: Official Guinness World Record Entry.
Heritage Toronto. (2025). Secrets of Toronto’s Tunnels: Early 1900s T. Eaton Co. Excavation Records.
Metrolinx. (2025). 2025 Transit Expansion and the PATH: Union Station Connection Engineering Updates.
Canadian Consulting Engineer. (2025). Engineering the North-West PATH: The 50mm Gap and Siphon Solutions Case Study.
City of Montreal. (2025). The RÉSO: Montreal's Underground City Pedestrian Network Profile.
Minneapolis.org (2025). Minneapolis Skyway System: Engineering Footbridges in the North.
Guinness World Records. (2025). Largest Continuous Pedestrian Skyway Network: KAFD Riyadh (Global Record as of February 2025).
Fascinating. I think Minneapolis has something like this too.
ReplyDeleteYou’re absolutely right and I've updated my post to reflect that!
DeleteMinneapolis has a massive system, but there’s a cool engineering twist—their network is actually the world's largest skyway system (elevated bridges), whereas the PATH holds the record for the largest underground shopping complex. Interestingly, as of February 2025, Riyadh has actually overtaken Minneapolis for the longest continuous skyway, but Toronto still reigns supreme beneath the streets!
Thanks for your comment!