Williams Omnibus Bus Line

First passenger transport system in Toronto, Ontario

The first transit system in Toronto commenced in 1849, connecting St. Lawrence Market to the Red Lion Inn (shown above in 1886) in Yorkville.

Williams Omnibus Bus Lines was the first mass transportation system in the old City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada with four six-passenger buses. Established in 1849 by local cabinetmaker Burt Williams, it consisted of horse-drawn stagecoaches operating from the St. Lawrence Market to the Red Lion Hotel in Yorkville. The bus line was a great success, and four larger vehicles were added in 1850. After a few years, even more buses were in use, and were operating every few minutes. In 1861, the city gave a 30-year franchise for to Toronto Street Railways who built a horse car line, and the gauge of the buses was modified so as to fit between the tracks. The bus system lasted only until 1862, when it was bought out by the TSR. The omnibuses were manufactured by Williams' own cabinet-making store on Yonge Street, H. Burt Williams.

Prior to Williams' operations, there were a variety of stagecoach operators in the city:

Marlborough Stage
Rossin House Hotel - King and Wellington Streets
Charles Thompson - Yonge Street at Elgin Mills Hotel in Richmond Hill, Ontario to St. Lawrence Market
Barnabas Vanderburgh's Hotel in Richmond Hill, Ontario
Eastern Mail Stage
Rouge - Scarborough, Ontario
Markham Village - Markham Village
Western Mail Stage - Lambton House to Dundas
Streetsville - now part of Mississauga
Holland Landing - from York to Holland Landing
Pine Grove to Weston, Ontario
Canadian Transfer Company
Samuel D. Purdy 1816 - founder of first stagecoach line in Upper Canada from York to Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
William Weller 1832 - from Coffin Block to Kingston, Ontario and also operated services in Cobourg, Ontario, Port Hope, Ontario, Peterborough, Ontario, Kingston-Prescott; Weller was mayor of Cobourg, Ontario
John Playter 1828-1832 from York to Newmarket, Ontario

Fleet

**Product list and details**
Builder	Description	Fleet size	Year acquired	Year retired	Notes
H. Burt Williams cabinet store, Toronto	small omnibus (6 passenger stage coach)	4	1849	1862	horse drawn stagecoach
H. Burt Williams cabinet store, Toronto	large omnibus	4	1850	1862	horse drawn stagecoach

References

Filey, Mike (1986). Not a One Horse Town. North York, Ontario: Firefly Books. ISBN 0-9691501-1-3.
"A Very, Very Brief History of Transit in Toronto". Transit Toronto. 2006-11-10. Retrieved 2007-07-21.