Originally planned to be named Steeles West, Pioneer Village was actually a bit frustrating to shoot. Much like Museum, the station is mainly lit (with the exception of the platform) by several tiny yet powerful pot-lights that concentrate light in one spot rather than spreading it throughout the space. For expansive wide-angle shots, it’s a bit of a nightmare.
I can’t talk about Pioneer Village without talking about its intended art installation, currently hanging (literally) in a state of limbo.
“LightSpell”, designed by realities:united, would allow passengers waiting in the station to type 8-character messages, which would then be displayed on the light panels hanging above the platform. Anticipating the inevitable misuse of participatory art, the TTC opted not to activate the installation “until mitigation features are added to limit the potential for misuse.”
So now the installation remains hanging in the station, having never been activated for the public. The pot-lights alongside the massive unused installation created the feeling of an archaeological excavation — as if “LightSpell“ is an artefact from another time that we don’t understand yet.
For now passengers can sit, stare upwards, and wonder what they might write for the people around them.
The next station is Highway 407.