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For the seventh time in three years, a sinkhole has opened up in or near Toronto’s busy Church-Wellesley intersection.
“It is bizarre,” Jaret Sereda of the Church-Wellesley Villa BIA told CBC Toronto. “Why it keeps happening, I can’t speak to that.”
City staff blame 150-year-old water pipes that run beneath the intersection, combined with sandy soil. When a leak in the aged pipes happens, the surrounding earth can be washed away, causing the road above to collapse, staff say.
Wednesday’s sinkhole, on the north side of Wellesley Street just east of Church Street, was described by Toronto police as being about 2.5 metres long, although CBC Toronto staff on the scene estimated it to be about half that size.
Within hours, city crews had patched the hole with asphalt, although that section of Wellesley Street, mainly a bike lane, remained blocked with cones and taped off a day later.
Jaret Sereda of the Church-Wellesley Village BIA says the frequent sinkholes are ‘bizarre’ and hopes the city addresses the problem sooner rather than later. (Mike Smee/CBC)
The sinkhole was the second to open up in or near the intersection in less than two weeks. On Nov. 8, a nearby section of Wellesley Street collapsed, causing police to close the street while repairs took place.
Sereda said traffic disruption in the area caused by the sinkholes is generally minimal.
“If it continues to happen, that’s certainly something our office is going to explore further,” he said.
‘We’re waiting for a car to get swallowed’
City spokesperson Krystal Carter said in an email that staff are unaware of any injuries caused by the collapses, or any other city intersection that’s experienced such frequent sinkholes.
She said there were only two water main breaks at the intersection between 2012 and 2022. “The recent increase in breaks in 2025 shows a steeper deterioration of the water main,” she wrote.
This month’s sinkholes were the sixth and seventh to open up in the area since 2022.
The sinkhole on Wellesley Street just east of Church Street is the second in the same area in less than two weeks. Police estimated it to be about 2.5 metres long. (Mike Smee/CBC)
Despite the frequent roadwork and resulting traffic problems, both Sereda and Connie Langille, president of the Church-Wellesley Neighbourhood Association, say residents and businesses are taking the sinkholes in stride.
“Some of them get a little frustrated, but generally it’s not a huge issue, in that we know the city will be by very quickly to remedy the situation,” Langille said.
“It’s almost a joke now; we’re just waiting for the next one, we’re waiting for a car to get swallowed.”
The local city councillor, Chris Moise, appears to be less sanguine about the situation.
In an email to CBC Toronto, he called the frequent sinkholes at a major intersection “unacceptable.”
“As sinkhole after sinkhole appears within a short distance of each other, it’s reasonable to wonder if more than just the sinkholes need fixing … The people of Toronto and the residents and businesses of Church-Wellesley Village deserve to have safe streets, solid ground to stand on, and a sinkhole preventative maintenance program that doesn’t let us down.
“If our City needs a special action plan to properly address this, then it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
City staff looking for permanent fix
Staff told CBC Toronto in an email they are looking into a strategy for a permanent fix, rather than just patching the holes as they appear.
The water mains had been scheduled for replacement in 2031 to address the needs of new development projects in the area. However, “given the current situation, the City is now exploring options to advance this work as a long-term solution,” the email said.
But it’s not clear how or when that fix could happen.
And in the meantime, residents will likely have to deal with the possibility of even more sinkholes opening up at the intersection.
“This work is highly complex and requires careful coordination with other infrastructure projects and partners, as well as mitigation strategies to minimize disruption for residents and businesses,” the staff email said.
“We understand these events are challenging for people who live and work in the area, and we thank those impacted for their patience.”