Celebrate Canada Day with fireworks, Pride, but remember what’s open and closed

Happy Canada Day! Canada is 149 years old on Friday, and what a birthday celebration it is going to be.

For one thing, you finally have a three-day Canada Day long weekend after a long time. And secondly, there are no scheduled subway closures this weekend – hooray!

And that is just for starters. There are celebrations around the city to show off your patriotism, including fireworks at various locations across the GTA.

As you make your plans, check out a list below of what’s open and closed on Friday and road closures over the long weekend.


 

Fireworks

Toronto

 

Outside the city

Events

Pride Month wraps up
It’s a very busy weekend for the last weekend of Pride. On Friday, the Trans March starts at Church and Hayden streets at 8 p.m. and wraps up at Allan Gardens an hour later.

 

On Saturday, it’s the annual Dyke March, which starts at 2 p.m. at Church and Bloor streets. It will march its way down Yonge to Carlton streets, and into Allan Gardens for a party with artists, performers, poets and activists.

The month wraps up Sunday with one of the biggest pride parades in North America. The 35th annual event starts at 2 p.m. at Church and Bloor streets. Everyone is invited and this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be riding along.

Canada Day events

In Toronto, Yonge-Dundas Square will be marking the party with a multicultural celebration, and a special citizenship ceremony will be held at Queen’s Park. There are also some parades, including one in East York.

Below are links to Canada Day festivities taking place in the GTA.

Ajax | Brampton | Burlington | Mississauga | Oakville | Oshawa | Newmarket | Richmond Hill | Vaughan | Whitby

Other events

Redpath Waterfront Festival
The festival takes place along the waterfront between Spadina Avenue and Bay Street, where the family can check out majestic tall ships along with an artisan market, a dog show, and lots of other events. Watch a preview of the event below or click here to view it.

Digital Dreams
On the other end of the spectrum, Digital Dreams takes place at the Flats at Ontario Place Saturday and Sunday. The electronic music dance party is expected to draw thousands of fans.

Queen’s Plate
The 157th Queen’s Plate, Toronto’s version of the Kentucky Derby, takes place at Woodbine Racetrack on Sunday. There’s $1,000,000 up for grabs in the world-class race.

What’s open/closed on July 1

 

Open

  • TTC will run on a holiday schedule
  • GO Transit will run on a Saturday schedule
  • Tourist attractions: ROM, CN Tower, Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo, Hockey Hall of Fame, Ontario Science Centre, Canada’s Wonderland, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
  • Most malls: Bramalea City Centre (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Eaton Centre (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Pacific Mall (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.), Square One (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), The Promenade (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Toronto Premium Outlets (9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.), Upper Canada Mall (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Vaughan Mills Mall (10 a.m. to 7 p.m.), Yorkville Village (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and Hillcrest Mall (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
  • Curbside garbage collection: For homes that follow the Friday 1 schedule, garbage will be collected; however, those that follow the Friday 2 schedule will only have green and blue bin collection

 

Closed

  • LCBO stores are closed
  • Beer Store locations will also be closed, but some stores will remain open later on Thursday
  • Government offices, municipal buildings, banks, and libraries
  • No mail delivery
  • Some malls: Dufferin Mall, Fairview Mall, Scarborough Town Centre, Sherway Gardens, Yorkdale Shopping Centre
  • Most grocery stores are closed on Friday, except for Bloor Street Market (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.), Longo’s at Maple Leaf Square and Bloor HBC (9 a.m. to 7 p.m.), and Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

Road closures

Road closures for events

Canada Day celebration at Queen’s Park: Queen’s Park/Queen’s Park Circle from College to Bloor streets from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday

Canada Day parade in Scarborough: On Friday, Brimley Road from Progress Avenue to Ellesmere Road from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Brimley from Ellesmere Road to Lawrence Avenue from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Ellesmere Road from Midland Avenue to McCowan Road from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Canada Day celebrations at Mel Lastman Square: Southbound lanes of Yonge Street between North York Boulevard and Park Home Avenue from noon to 11 p.m. on Friday

East York’s Canada Day: Cosburn Avenue from Cedarvale Avenue to Oak Park Road, Virginia Avenue from Cedarvale to Cosburn avenues, and Gledhill Avenue will be closed from Holborne to Cosburn avenues, from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Friday

Pride Parade: It starts at Church and Bloor streets, heads west on Bloor to Yonge Street, then south on Yonge to Dundas Street East and then to Victoria Street. Several roads in the area will be closed between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday.

 

Church Street Pride Festival: Church Street from Carlton to Hayden streets from 6 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Monday

Trans Pride March: It starts at Church Street between Hayden and Bloor streets, proceeds west on Bloor to Yonge Street, heads south on Yonge to Carlton Street and then east on Carlton to Allan Gardens. Roads in the area wil be closed on Friday from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Pride and Remembrance Run: Wellesley Street from Jarvis Street to Queen’s Park Circle and Queen’s Park from College to Bloor streets from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday

Dyke March: It starts at Church between Hayden and Bloor streets, then proceeds west on Bloor to Yonge Street, south on Yonge to Carlton Street, and east on Carlton to Allan Gardens. Roads in the area will be closed between noon and 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Pride Week Trans March: It starts at Church Street and Bloor Street East, heads west on Bloor to Yonge Street, then south on Yonge to Dundas Street East and heads along Dundas Street East to Victoria Street. Several rolling road closures will take place in the area between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., with the parade taking place from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

Road work
The entire intersection of College and Bathurst will be closed for TTC work until July 12.

Also, Queen Street West between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street is reduced to one lane in either direction for watermain replacement and and reconstruction work. The construction is expected to last until Oct. 8.

Below is a map of the ongoing road closures in Toronto due to construction. Click here for a mobile-friendly link.

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