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Comment by 用心涼Coooool 12 hours ago

央街（Yonge Street）——從城市主幹道到流傳百年的傳說

在很多旅遊與文化指南中，你可能聽過這樣一句話：「Yonge Street 是世界上最長的街道。」這條被稱為「安大略的主街（Main Street Ontario）」的道路，確實擁有豐富而有趣的歷史，至今仍是加拿大安大略省最具代表性的一條大道，但關於它的「世界最長」稱號，已經成為一段都市傳說與歷史誤解。

Yonge Street At Dusk

央街（Yonge Street，發音近似 “young”）的歷史可追溯到 1793 年，由當時的英屬上加拿大副總督John Graves Simcoe下令興建，原意是連結多倫多（Toronto）與北方的湖泊與內地，作為軍事與交通要道，同時也奠定了安大略省以後道路規劃的基礎。它從安大略湖湖畔南端出發，向北延伸，一路穿越多倫多市中心、約克區與郊區，最初稱為省道的一部分，負責連接北方地區。(Wikipedia)

在主幹道上，央街經過多倫多最繁華的商業與文化區域——從 Eaton Centre（伊頓中心）、Yonge–Dundas Square（央街與登打士廣場） 到 冰球名人堂（Hockey Hall of Fame）等知名地標都座落其旁。它不僅是交通用路，更是城市生活的脈動核心。這條街也成為多倫多地鐵第一條建線的地下走向——Yonge–University 地鐵線 的主要動線，見證了城市的成長與變遷。(Flickr)

在20世紀中葉到 1990 年代之前，央街曾被視為安大略省道 Highway 11 的南端路段。由於 Highway 11 向北延伸至加拿大與美國邊境的 Rainy River（雨河鎮），整段路線出現極長的距離，早期有一度被吉尼斯世界紀錄大全記載為 世界最長的街道，標示長度達 1,896 公里（1,178 英里）。這個稱號廣為流傳於旅遊指南與地方傳說中。(Canada Cool)

但實際情況有一些關鍵細節必須澄清：央街真正以「Yonge Street」名稱存在的路段，其實並沒有延伸到 Highway 11 的最北端。在 1990 年代末省政府重新調整道路權責後，央街與 Highway 11 的名稱和管理被切割，現在的央街北至約克區的Holland Landing附近就結束，而往北的部分不再用同一名稱，因而在 1999 年吉尼斯世界紀錄取消了它「世界最長街道」的稱號。

如今，央街本身從安大略湖到郊區的直線主幹約有五十餘公里，仍是多倫多市與鄰近地區重要的城市動脈。雖然它不再真正是世界最長，但其象徵意義與文化地位遠未減弱。這條街幾乎串起了城市最熱鬧的購物區、餐飲娛樂地帶、歷史建築與社會活動場所，是城市生活中不可或缺的公共空間。它的名字在當地居民口中常被稱為「央街」，不僅代表道路，也代表一種城市記憶與公共身份。(Flickr)

總結來說，央街的故事既是道路的歷史，也是城市與集體記憶的縮影：從軍事運輸線到繁華大道，從世界紀錄的傳說到日常生活的背景，它將加拿大城市發展的軌跡融入每一段路景之中。即便它不再是世界最長的街道，央街仍然是理解多倫多、理解安大略省社會文化的重要入口。

Comment by 用心涼Coooool on October 10, 2012 at 12:12am

In Toronto and York Region, Yonge Street is the north-south baseline from which street numbering is reckoned east and west. The Yonge subway line serves nearly the entire length of Toronto and acts as the spine of Toronto's transit system, linking to suburban commuter systems such as the Viva Blue BRT.

The street passes under the elevated Gardiner Expressway and the congested rail lines of the Toronto viaduct on their approach to Union Station. The road rises slightly near Front Street, marking the pre-landfill shoreline.

(Photo Appreciation: No Viktoria street - Gothenburg by Kristofer Ristolainen)

Here, at the southern edge of the central business district, is the Dominion Public Building, the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and the Hockey Hall of Fame, the latter housed in an imposing former Bank of Montreal office, once the largest bank branch in Canada. Beyond Front Street the road passes through the east side of the Financial District, within sight of many of Canada's tallest buildings, fronting an entrance to the Allen Lambert Galleria.

Between Front Street and Queen Street, Yonge Street is bounded by historic and commercial buildings, many serving the large weekday workforce concentrated here. Yonge Street's entire west side, from Queen Street to Dundas Street, is occupied by the Eaton Centre, an indoor mall featuring shops along its Yonge Street frontage and a Sears anchor store at the corner of Dundas Street.

The east side boasts two historic performance venues, the Canon Theatre and the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres. In addition, Massey Hall is located just to the east on Shuter Street. (Text Appreciation: Wikipedia)

Comment by 用心涼Coooool on May 30, 2012 at 7:17pm

Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes.

It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at 1,896 km (1,178 mi). The construction of Yonge Street is designated an Event of National Historic Significance in Canada.

Yonge Street originates on the northern shore of Toronto Bay at Queen's Quay, a four-lane arterial road (speed limit 50 km/h) proceeding north by north-west. Toronto's Harbourfront is built on landfill extended into the bay, with the former industrial area now converted from port, rail and industrial uses to a dense residential high-rise community.

(Photo Appreciation: Be There Soon by Roozbeh Rokni. A ride through the longest street in the World, Yonge Street)

It was fundamental in the original planning and settlement of western Upper Canada in the 1790s, informing the basis of the concession roads in Ontario today.

Long the southernmost leg of Highway 11, linking the capital with northern Ontario, Yonge Street has been referred to as "Main Street Ontario". A large part of the route follows an ancient well-established Aboriginal trail that linked the Lake Ontario waterfront to northern parts of the region. It was also the site of Canada's first subway line.

The street was named by Ontario's first colonial administrator for his friend Sir George Yonge, an expert on ancient Roman roads. Yonge Street is the location of or close to many attractions in Toronto, since, in addition to serving as the city's "main street", it runs near Bay Street (the centre of the business district) and University Avenue, the site of the Ontario Legislature.

(Photo Appreciation: PFHLai from Wikipedia)

Yonge Street is therefore a popular and commercial main thoroughfare rather than a ceremonial one, hosting live street and theatre performances, the Eaton Centre, Yonge-Dundas Square and the Hockey Hall of Fame. (From Wikipedia)