1882–1951
Pine Hills Cemetery
Section D Lot 4
John Hollinger was a visionary of public transportation in East York. After immigrating to Canada in 1906, he built a modest wooden home at the top of Woodbine Avenue, near today’s O’Connor Drive. At a time when the area lacked public transit, Hollinger launched a private “jitney” bus service in June 1921, operating a single route from Woodbine and Danforth Avenue north to O’Connor.
Starting as the sole driver, Hollinger would also deliver eggs and butter along his route and eat his own meals on the bus. His service quickly grew, adding new routes and acquiring other small operators. By the 1930s, Hollinger Bus Lines connected East York neighbourhoods to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) streetcar network, laying the foundation for routes like 8 Broadview, 62 Mortimer, 70 O’Connor and 91 Woodbine, which still operate today.
By the mid-1950s, Hollinger Bus Lines had expanded to dozens of buses before being taken over by the TTC in 1954. Hollinger also served for many years on East York’s municipal council, shaping the growth of the community he helped connect.
John Hollinger died of bronchopneumonia on August 12, 1951, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and service that transformed East York’s transportation landscape.
Sources: Mount Pleasant Group archives, transittoronto.ca, home.cc.umanitoba.ca,
acotoronto.ca
• Transit Toronto – Hollinger Bus Lines
• Architecture Conservancy Ontario – Hollinger House
• Mount Pleasant Group archives
• All-Time List of Canadian Transit Systems
Photo: James V. Salmon/Toronto Public Library Baldwin Room
