Toronto The Good: Living on Steeles
10h55
I just heard tires screeching followed by a loud bang. Went outside to see, but it’s blocked by a house. From the gathering onlookers it seems like it’s north of Steeles.
11h03
Sirens came and went. They must be for another accident.
11h05
Sirens are back. They sound like fire trucks. Yup, definitely fire trucks. They’re here to stay. Let’s watch.
I can’t see the trucks from my window.
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Living on a busy intersection between Toronto and Markham has its advantages. A choice between the TTC and YRT and a long stretch of multi-lane roads that, when navigated effectively, can get you to Yonge street in less than 20 minutes.
Then there are disadvantages: constant traffic at all hours of the day and night, and, because it’s a wide thoroughfare, a choice route for firetrucks, police cruisers, and other emergency vehicles.
There are days when it seems like every other night there’s an accident, fire, or assault that require these vehicles. I call those days “summer.”
The first night I spent here, in this room, I noticed it. It was a cruiser. The second night it was a fire truck.
Over time I got used to the sirens. I hardly even notice it unless the windows are wide open.
I can only imagine how things are downtown where the population density is far greater.
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Oh, it’s every night. You just tune it out and only notice it every now and then.
I live enroute to the hospital, one short block away from the wide throughfare along which all the emergency vehicles rumble down while blaring.
Hey Arvin, same here.
I used to live on Overlea Blvd in East York and swear there was one siren per night at least.
Now, I live right near a Police Station at Birch and Eglinton and there are multiple sirens every night. Including one officer that decides to check his cars sirens and lights when he gets in. So you just get 2 or 3 quick ’squirts’ of sound. All the time. All day. Everywhere.