TORONTO – Several road closures are in effect Sunday as the city turns green for the 26th-annual Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The parade, which got underway at noon, starts at Bloor Street West and St. George Street, proceeding along Bloor Street West, south on Yonge Street, west on Queen Street West to Nathan Phillips Square.

A full road closure will make room for the parade on Bloor Street West, Yonge Street and Queen Street West, with a few smaller road closures as well.

To avoid congestion, the TTC will be re-routing buses. Also, in an unrelated matter the subway is shut down between Union and St. George Sunday for TTC work.

There were also road closures in place for the St. Patrick’s Day 5-km run/walk, which participants gathered for at 9:00 a.m. with the run starting at 10:15 a.m.

Thousands of people could be seen along the parade route, wearing green sweaters, hats and glasses. Some even had green lawn chairs while others had their furry pet-friends dressed in the Irish spirit.

Road closures

8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.:

St. George St. (full road) – Bloor St. W. to College St.
Devonshire Place (full road) – Bloor St. W. to Hoskin Ave.

10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.:

Hoskin Ave. (full road) – St. George St. to Queen’s Park Cres.
Harbord St. (full road) – St. George St. to Huron St.

11:55 a.m. to 3 p.m.:

Bloor St. (full road) – Huron St. to Yonge St.
Yonge St. (full road) – Bloor St. to Queen St.
Queen St. W. (full road) Yonge St. to University Ave.

noon to 3 p.m.:

Bay St. (full road) – Queen St. W. to Dundas St. W.
Elisabeth St. (full road) – Dundas St. W. to Hagerman St.
Hagerman St. (full road) – Elizabeth St. to Bay St.

12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.:

University Ave. (partial road) – Queen St. W. to Dundas St. W.
Armoury St. (full road) – University Ave. to Chestnut St.
Centre Ave. (full road) – Dundas St. W. to Armoury St.