1S: Bay/College to Elm Street

The detail above, taken from the city's PATH map shows our entry/exit into the PATH system, the north side of The Atrium on Bay, on the south side of Edward street.

Bay street runs north-south, to the west (left) of The Atrium on Bay; College/Carlton street is to the North.

Here is the Yonge/College entry to the College Park Shops. Torontonians are clogging up the entrance instead of congregating in the streetcar shelter! To the right you see the entrance to Winners, and further to the right the central entrance to the College Park Shops (later) and much further to the right, the Rexall Pharmacy entrance at the corner of College/Bay. Use anyone of these entrances to get started.

We are at the eastern end of Sobey's grocery supermarket; a bank of elevators is visible on the right.

Turning around we see the offices of the Native Welfare on the north side of College street; to their left (west) is Police headquarters, a glossy blood-red structure.

Back to the elevators. We want to descend to the P1 parking level

Turn left, north, out of the elevators and walk about ten paces to the corridor, shown here, which runs west. Start off along the corridor

After about 50 steps you will find a corridor leading off to the left (south) with a set of double swing-doors. Head south towards the double swing-doors.

As you get closer you'll see a door that leads to the parking; pass through the door into the parking garage.

We have just popped out of the green doors on the left, and stepped backwards to get a better photo.

Take advantage of the pedestrian walkway and continue heading south. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Deke around the shallow S-bend and you'll see the car barriers and, as promised, there is the light at the end of the tunnel.

We pop out on Gerrard street. This photo shows the giant "P sign for parking. The cars in the foreground are heading west, waiting to cross over Bay Street.

Turning to the right, we see the entrances to the delta Chelsea Hotel on the south side of Gerrard; the domed canopies provide extra shelter for us. The yellow tape is not a crime scene, it serves merely to confirm that we are in Toronto during construction season (which runs from January to December)

We have crossed to the south side of Gerrard street and are walking east towards the Delta Chelsea entrance. The kind lady in front of us lending her blue umbrella so we can identify the bright red illuminated sign for underground parking; we don't have to go THAT far!

We have entered the Delta Chelsea, collected two free papers from the front desk, and walked south right through the hotel to the Elm street exit.

Exiting the Delta Chelsea we pass through a covered and illuminated walkway that extends to the kerb at Elm Street. It is still raining (snowing, heat wave etc.)

Off to our left is a covered way that could take us to Yonge Street, but we aren't going there today!

We are about to leave the covered and illuminated walkway and scoot to the kerb. Stop and look both ways, even on one-way streets in Toronto.

Across the street is a covered way that leads to a laneway; there is some real shelter and some part-shelter in the next stretch.

Passing through the archway we find the lane continues with some partial shelter/shade from trees and large shrubs on the west side of the laneway.

And we pop out - waddya know! - at the centre of The Atrium on Bay on Edwards street.

Cross to the south side of Edward street and you'll find the PATH sign that indicates we have made it. You can now enter Toronto's formal underground PATH system.

2N: Bay/College to Elm Street

Starting from the centre of The Atrium on Bay on Edwards street (our destination on the southward leg) we see across the street The World's Biggest Bookstore, sadly no longer true after the arrival of Amazon.com .

To the left (west) of The World's Second Biggest Bookstore is an alley partially sheltered by trees. At the far end Torontonians are about to pass through a sheltered archway; we will follow in their footsteps.

We have walked north up the alley and are about to pass under the covered archway. Across Elm street is the canopy to The Delta Chelsea.

Exiting the archway we can see the covered and illuminated walkway into the Delta Chelsea. Look both ways before crossing the street, especially in the rain or snow or torrid heat of midsummer.

Continue north, passing through the covered and illuminated walkway to the Delta Chelsea.

Walk north through the Delta Chelsea and you will reach the Gerrard street entrance.

Exiting the Delta Chelsea puts us on the south side of Gerrard street. In the centre of this image is the large blue "P", our next objective; to the left (west) of the photo a line of cars waits to cross over Bay street.

The big blue "P" invites us to enter the parking garage. Ahead car has entered and is passing through the car barrier.

Follow that car! Warp through the shallow S-bend but maintain a northerly direction, past the parking security office, the free air, the car wash signs, …

Use the pedestrian walkway. The man is not bad. I was blocking the walkway to take a photograph, and he quietly left me alone and walked around me.

Continue on the walkway to the large green doors and an overhead sign that heralds "777 Bay" et al. Good old Al!

Turn right to walk through the green doors then immediately turn left to continue in a northerly direction towards the elevators that will take us to street level.

Yes, we have a strike by over-compensated elevator maintenance operators. Turn right and walk eastwards along the corridors to another set of elevators.

But please see "Freight Elevators" below.

At the end of the eastward leg, turn right (facing south) and you'll find another bank of elevators. Go to the "C"ollege level.

These elevators will pop you out at Druxy's deli.

Walk past Druxy's and make your way past Grand & Toy to the escalators.

Up the escalators and you'll find yourself with Sobey's on your left, bay street straight ahead, and the Rexall pharmacy a bit to your right; also the TD bank.

Walk right on through the Rexall pharmacy in a north-westerly direction and you'll find yourself on the south-east corner of Bay/College. The ladies are headed west along College towards University Avenue.; the white shuttle bus is heading south down Bay street.

Turn left and you'll see the Rexall pharmacy on the south-east corner of Bay/College. We just left there!

On the south-west corner of Bay/College there is a branch of the CIBC bank. The pink and mauve shirts are heading west towards University Avenue.

Freight Elevators

The elevator strike is over; the elevators are operating again, but note that THESE doors lead to the freight elevators.

If you are capable of acting like a lost and frightened senior, as I am, the freight guys will call their elevator for you and get you safely on their way, but if those guys are not on duty, you may be out of luck!