This is why I am glad I take Go Transit more often than the TTC

It is interesting that passenger safety is paramount, however no shuttle buses were available when they usually are and crowds of passengers for the commute crowd Union Station and the busy downtown core causing a safety issue.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-subway-shutdown-causes-early-morning-commuter-chaos-1.3104230

"Passengers' safety is paramount and shutting down the subway system in lieu of the ability to communicate with subway trains was the responsible thing to do," said TTC chair and Toronto Coun. Josh Colle in a statement.

I have been in Toronto for various transit outages and this is the first time I have not seen shuttle buses available.  Just google it to see that when Yonge Bloor got shut down both directions due to someone digging too deep at Yonge/Bloor or previous full system power outages.  Take a look at the procedure that Adam Giambrone laid out a few years ago of the process.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/adam-giambrone/what-happens-in-the-subway-when-the-power-goes-out/46586563163

 More often than not, shuttle buses will be provided in areas where subway service is down. That said, there is no way to handle subway capacities on buses, so if people can walk, bike or take a taxi for urgent trips, they are encouraged to do so. If the disruption is not during rush hour, spare buses may be deployed as shuttles, and extra operators called in to drive them. However, in rush hour, there are no spare buses, as they’re all already in regular service. In this case, staff must divert buses from other routes to act as shuttles—a few buses from here and there across the system. The Commission has over 1700 buses, so you can imagine the complexity of deciding which buses to take from where—and of course it must all be done extremely quickly, so they arrive before they’re no longer needed! This is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes process, which must be undertaken while riders are growing increasingly frustrated by the minute. And of course, once things return to normal, it must all be put back in place again. 

I fear this process that Adam mapped out was not followed and that is why there was chaos.  People need to look at the disaster recovery plan and if it has changed from Adam's approach then it needs to revert back.