Already bustling, Humber hub is about to explode

Mount Arboretum Lookout has a fantastic view of the lush West Humber River valley.

- SHAWN MICALLEF

Humber College station looks ready to go on the delayed Finch West LRT line. Once the line opens, it should bring more growth to the town and country hub that is undergoing a pace of change as dramatic as the view, Shawn Micallef writes.

At its summit, the sprawling Humber College campus, just a few dozen metres away, disappears behind trees and the impressive view is to the west. It’s why this place in the Humber Arboretum is sometimes called Sunset Point.

In the near distance two residential buildings named “The Mansions of Humberwood” rise out of the green forest, seemingly alone as the detached homes nearby are also hidden by trees. In the far distance, highrises in Mississauga and Brampton appear on the hazy horizon. The landscape looks more wilderness than urban.

Calling it a summit is a bit of an overstatement (as is the use of the words “mount” and “mansions”), but the GTA has these kinds of subtle but surprising heights where the views are measured by the kilometre. It’s also a city of hubs, like the one around Humber College, that have evolved both organically and intentionally.