The Union Station Bone Yard: Hidden Maritime Relics Beneath Toronto’s Freight Tracks

The Union Station area in Toronto once served as the final resting place for several maritime relics, earning the moniker “The Bone Yard.” This historical site, now buried beneath freight tracks and urban infrastructure, contains a fascinating collection of forgotten ships and vessels, their stories intertwined with the city’s waterfront development and industrial past.

Maritime Skeletons of the Bone Yard

Among the vessels that disappeared under the sands of time, the schooners F.F. Cole, Echo, and Annie Mulvey stand out. These ships were key players in the bustling waterfront activity of 19th-century Toronto, but their fates were sealed by fire, neglect, and industrial expansion:

• F.F. Cole: A small Schooner with no surviving records to detail her origins or service history. Her remains were lost in the sand beneath the rail tracks.
• Echo: A larger Schooner, similarly buried and largely forgotten, her once-proud Hull now hidden beneath modern urban development.
• Annie Mulvey: The largest of the three, this Schooner met her fiery end in the catastrophic Esplanade fire of 1885. Her charred remains joined the others under layers of sand and debris.
• Knapp Roller Boat: This unique steel-cylinder vessel, a bold experiment in ship design by inventor Frederick Knapp, lies buried nearby. Although never successful in its intended function, the roller boat was a testament to Toronto’s innovative spirit in the late 19th century.
• Cibola: Little is known about this vessel, but it, too, lies beneath the tracks. The vessel’s burial, possibly by sand inundation, marked its quiet disappearance from the city’s history.

The Legacy Beneath the Freight Tracks

The railway tracks near Union Station, used for bypassing freight, hold this maritime graveyard in their foundations. The disappearance of these vessels symbolizes the city’s transition from a waterfront-driven economy to a rail and urban-focused infrastructure.

This burial ground reflects not only the inevitable march of progress but also the enduring stories of Toronto’s maritime heritage. Advocates for waterfront development during the mid-20th century paved the way for a modern city, with foresight and determination that continue to shape Toronto’s identity.

A City of Vision

The history of the Union Station Bone Yard reminds Toronto of its roots as a harbor city. Visionaries of the 1950s recognized the potential of a vibrant, developed waterfront. Today, the city faces new challenges and opportunities for growth, echoing the ambitions of past generations.

Rediscovering and preserving the stories of these buried ships would serve as a tribute to the industrious spirit that transformed Toronto into a major North American city. Such efforts could link modern development to the city’s rich maritime past, ensuring these skeletons of the boneyard are not forgotten.

Keywords: Union Station, Toronto Waterfront, Bone Yard, Schooners, Maritime History, Knapp Roller Boat, Cibola, Urban Development

Glossary Terms: Freight Tracks, Schooner, Roller Boat, Esplanade Fire, Harbor Development

Other Vessels scuttled, buried or disposed of during the Toronto Harbour Cleanup

• LAKE MICHIGAN was a wooden package freighter, built in 1872 in St. Catharines, Ontario, as part of a fleet that included similar vessels, such as LAKE ERIE and LAKE ONTARIO. Initially, she was used for freight and passenger service, running Montreal to Chicago and serving ports such as Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catharine