Figures.

[bjarvis]

I keep a reserve of Canadian money, Toronto Transit tokens, a chequing account and a credit card from a Canadian bank for my infrequent trips home. My US credit cards now charge a 3% service fee for non-US dollar transactions and the rates by the money exchange houses at the airports and border crossing points are obscene so this is my favourite way of saving a few dollars.

Alas, the TTC is ditching their old transit tokens in favour of a more counterfeit-resistant version. I'm keeping two of the old standard tokens as memorabilia but that leaves me with 10 transit tokens which either need to be used by January 31 or exchanged in person before the end of the year.

I guess I have yet another business side trip to make when I return to Toronto in April.

Comments

[brunorepublic.livejournal.com]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you can only exchange them until the end of February. The TTC is very anxious to get rid of them; they lost a lot of money as the counterfeit tokens are almost impossible to distinguish from the real ones.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

The TTC's web page on the topic (http://www.toronto.ca/ttc/new_token.htm) says that the end-of-February deadline is for swapping at certain key stations (Yonge-Bloor, Kipling, Warden, Finch), but we can still trade the tokens at HQ at Davisville until the end of 2007.

If I can't get the swapped in time, I'll survive the loss. Perhaps the old tokens might be collectors items some decade in the future. :-)

[brunorepublic.livejournal.com]

Interesting. They really haven't publicized that last little bit at all. None of the information posted in the subway stations mentions it.