ACO Toronto campaigned to protect the West Garden of Osgoode Hall from being clearcut to meet Metrolinx's needs for construction of the Ontario Line. In February 2023, the area of the garden needed for the station entrance was clearcut.

Are there alternatives to locating an Ontario Line head house in the Osgoode Garden? Many alternative locations have been proposed, but Metrolinx insists:

• Two entrances are required, in case of emergency, need of rapid exit by riders, rapid entry by emergency services.
• Elevators are required at both entrances to provide access for all.
• Need for smooth integration with Queen streetcars, plus presence of 4 Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts at the southeast corner, of Campbell House Museum at the northwest corner of Queen and University prevents construction of entrances at either of those locations.
• 30x40m side, 30m deep "keyhole" excavation, in bedrock, for construction of Ontario Line Osgoode Station, under the existing 12m deep Line 1 subway, cannot be moved more than 2m (3m max) further west to avoid disturbance of the Line 1 station box.

Nevertheless, defenders of Osgoode Garden insist there are alternatives.

University Park

In 2020, landscape architects PUBLIC WORK, the Michael Young Family Foundation and the non-profit Evergreen proposed a greening of University Avenue from Queen's Park to Queen Street that would evoke memories of its tree-lined past.

North of Queen Street East, adjacent to the garden of Osgoode Hall and Osgoode lawn, past the Toronto courthouse to Queens Park, the east side of University Avenue would be transformed, into University Park that replaces University Avenue's eastern sidewalk, three-lanes of roadway and central median, with north-south road traffic concentrated into west lanes only. (Bike lanes, presumably inside the park.) Dream or potential reality? July 24, 2022, City Planner Gregg Lintern and General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation, Janie Romoff released: Priority Downtown Parks and Public Realm Opportunities in which they state:

"A reimagined University Avenue and Queen's Park Crescent will provide a continuous linear public space and green connection between Downtown's Financial and Health Science Districts, Queens' Park, and the University of Toronto." But also: "This transformative opportunity is contemplated as a longer term and potentially incremental endeavour."

To which City Council responded, July 19, 2022:

City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with other relevant Divisions, to report to the Executive Committee in 2023 on options to speed up the delivery of the Bathurst Quay and University Avenue parks; including phasing the University Avenue project by focusing on the northern section first.

But: Malcolm Mackay, Sponsor Ontario Line, Sept 1, 2022 (in conversation):

TOcore (University Park) plan remains "conceptual" where "environmental assessment and traffic studies are not close." He doubts that City Council will "want a station entrance in the public realm" and that, if it does, without "significant acceleration of development of University Park plans". He also doubts that construction of a northeast entrance inside University Park can happen in sync with Metrolinx schedule. Where "Metrolinx is on the cusp" of construction, moving the Osgoode garden entrance into University Park would require a "significant deviation" in Metrolinx plans. He also notes need to not move the entrance keyhole more than 2m west to avoid de-stabilizing the existing Line 1 station box.

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Proposed location of Osgoode station northeast entrance moves out of the garden west onto "Osgoode Plaza" on sidewalk, north-bound lanes and central median of University Avenue (north-bound lanes move west to share road with south-bound lanes), leaving the garden and 1867 fence intact. To integrate, eventually, with University Park. But Metrolinx objections to moving the entrance west too close to Line 1, remain - and garden area needed for excavation of the entrance "keyhole", is now clearcut - meaning this proposal is now moot?

NOT if the keyhole is capped below surface of the garden and IF access to stairs, escalators, elevators inside the keyhole will be possible, from a head house moved west of it, above the existing Line1 station concourse. The devil is in the civil engineering details but, if Osgoode Plaza is a feasible solution, Osgoode garden, inside its 1867 undisturbed fence, could be replanted over the keyhole with grass (and with trees, where soil outside the keyhole is deep enough to support them).

February 26, 2023, Toronto and East York Community Council established a Subcommittee on Metrolinx Ontario Line Construction (Councillors Ausma Mailik, Chris Moise and Paula Fletcher with Liz Driver "to hear from the public regarding Metrolinx's development, construction and implementation of the Ontario Line; and develop recommendations which can be forwarded to Metrolinx and the Ontario Government by City Council". The subcommittee's first meeting will be March 22, 2023.