Bay is a subway station on Line 2 Bloor–Danforth in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the heart of the Yorkville district just north of Bloor Street West on the west side of Bay Street.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates its lost articles office at this station, where forgotten objects on the city's buses and trains are held until reclaimed or sold by auction.
History
Bay station opened in 1966 as part of the original segment of the Bloor–Danforth line, from in the west to in the east. Early plans of the line, and even some published maps, named this station "Yorkville"; the platform signs read "BAY" in large type, with a smaller "YORKVILLE" caption underneath. Work commenced in August 2019 to make Bay station wheelchair accessible; this work was completed on December 30, 2020.
Lower Bay
thumb|Lower Bay signage from 1966, when the TTC was about to open the Bloor–Danforth subway line
Below the main platform for Bay station is an abandoned platform, which was used for only six months in 1966 when the TTC experimentally ran trains whose routes included portions of both the Yonge–University and Bloor–Danforth lines. This abandoned platform is sometimes referred to as "Lower Bay" by the general public or "Bay Lower" by the TTC.
The platform was in service from February to September 1966 as part of an interlining experiment, in which the TTC ran trains along three routes, with one matching the subsequent Bloor–Danforth line, and the other two combining parts of the Bloor–Danforth line with the Yonge–University line. The experiment was deemed a failure, largely because delays anywhere quickly cascaded to affect the entire system. Also, as the stations had not been laid out effectively for cross-platform interchange, trains travelling east from and west from Yonge alternated between the two levels, leading passengers to wait on the stairs in-between the levels, since they were unable to tell which platform would receive the next train. The short film, The Last Stop, directed by Tyler Cowan, also featured the Lower Bay station as its primary location. The band Great Lake Swimmers also recorded "The Great Exhale", a song from their 2012 album New Wild Everywhere, in Lower Bay station. In 2018, the band Fucked Up headlined Canadian Music Week with a showcase show in Lower Bay station. It has also been used as training exercise location by the local army reserve.
frame|center|A map of the Toronto subway routes, as they appeared during the 1966 interlining trial; all stations were served by at least two routes, allowing direct trips between any two stations. The route names and colours are derived from the official maps of the time.
Proposed re-activation of Lower Bay
In 2014, Josef Kates, an engineer, proposed reactivating Lower Bay during rush hour by having northbound University trains bypass St. George subway station and instead short turn at Bay. Kates argues this would relieve both St. George and Bloor–Yonge stations by allowing some downtown-bound passengers transferring from the Bloor–Danforth line to transfer at Bay instead of Yonge or St. George.
Public access
thumb|Lower Bay station during the [[Doors Open Toronto event on May 26, 2007]]
The station itself is not open to public access. During structural repairs to the tunnel roof between Bay and St. George stations, trains were bypassed to Museum station via the interlining tracks on Saturdays and Sundays from February 24 to March 11, 2007. As a result, riders could see Lower Bay through the train windows as they rode between Bloor–Yonge and Museum stations. During the May 2010 Victoria Day long weekend, the station was again used to facilitate track repairs, and once again the public got a rare opportunity to ride through the station.
The TTC announced on May 9, 2011, that due to track switch replacement on the Bloor–Danforth line between St. George and Bloor–Yonge stations, a similar subway diversion procedure would be implemented, with all eastbound and westbound trains on the Bloor–Danforth turning back at Museum station during the weekend of May 14–15, 2011 giving passengers another glimpse of Lower Bay subway station. Passengers exited the train at Museum station, crossed the centre platform, and boarded the northbound, eastbound, or westbound train to continue their subway trip. University–Spadina subway passengers travelling eastbound on the Bloor–Danforth line changed trains at Museum station. During the subway diversion, the lower level of St. George station was closed and all trains served the upper level. Upper Bay station was also closed. Regular Bloor–Danforth subway service resumed on May 16, 2011.
The TTC opened Lower Bay to the public for Doors Open Toronto on May 26, 2007. According to TTC chair Adam Giambrone's introduction leaflet, this event in 2007 was the first time since 1966 that the station's platform was open to the public. There were large line-ups, as a limited number of people were allowed on the platform at any one time. Two trains were parked on the tracks, a video screen displayed movies or commercials shot in Bay Lower, and movie posters were hung around the platform. Since 2007, the station has been open to the public periodically, often as part of subsequent Nuit Blanche and Doors Open Toronto events.
Public art
As part of the TTC Public Art program and the station's accessibility modernization project, Bay station received a permanent public art installation titled confluence, unveiled on February 8, 2026. The work was created by Toronto-based artist Francisco-Fernando Granados in collaboration with architect Kurt Kraler as part of the TTC's Easier Access and Second Exit Projects.