File photo of Pride flag. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Eduardo Lima
The first weekend of June is upon us and there is no shortage of things to do in Toronto, including events related to Pride Month.
Keep in mind that the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway, will be closed for much of Sunday due to a charity event. Scroll below for a list of other roads closures and TTC service updates.
Top events
Bike for Brain Health
Cyclists will take over the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway on Sunday for the charity event, which raises money and awareness to help defeat dementia.
The Gardiner from South Kingsway to the DVP, and the DVP from the Gardiner to York Mills Road, will be closed for much of Sunday. There will also be additional closures around Exhibition Place.
Drivers are being advised to find alternate routes or take public transit to get around.
International Indigenous Music Summit 2023
Celebrate Indigenous History Month at the event themed “Generations Strong,” which runs until Sunday at the Allied Music Centre at Massey and other venues across the city.
“Indigenous artists and the music industry will come together to honour tradition and forge new paths, through curated musical showcases, networking activities, panels and ceremonies,” the website states.
Click here for the schedule and ticket information
Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival
“For more than three decades, Inside Out has brought Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ community together in celebration of the best queer film from Canada and around the world,” the website states about the film festival.
Several movies are being featured online and in-person at this year’s festival, which runs until Sunday at various venues across the city including the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Click here for the programme and schedule.
Pooch Pride: March n’ Market
Pooches and their “hoomans” will be taking a stroll through Trinity Bellwoods Park on Saturday to celebrate the 2SLGBTQ+ community and then meeting up at a market displaying products from queer-led brands. The free event starts at 11:30 a.m. and is being held alongside Save Our Scruff, a rescue and rehome organization.
Sunday Drag Brunch
“Canada’s longest running drag brunch” is back on Sunday and will continue to be held every second Sunday until July at Glad Day Bookshop. The brunch, which features a different performer each week, has spots at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with the shows starting at 11:30 a.m. and 2:20 p.m., respectively.
TTC closures
Line 2 Victoria Park to Kennedy full weekend closure
On Saturday and Sunday, there will be no subway service on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth between Victoria Park and Kennedy stations due to signal upgrades.
Line 2 shuttle buses will operate, stopping at all subway stations. Regular subway service will resume at approximately 6 a.m. on Monday.
Line 1 Yonge North extension construction
Starting at 11 p.m. nightly, Finch Station will be reduced from two platforms to a single platform for upgrades related to the Line 1 subway extension.
People may experience longer than expected travel times during this time. The nightly platform reductions will be in effect until Monday, June 5.
Road closures
Event closures
- St. George Street, from College Street to Harbord Street, will be closed from 7 p.m. on Friday until 8 p.m. on Saturday for an event at the University of Toronto.
- In Brampton on Sunday, Dixie Road will be closed from Bovaird Drive to Sandalwood Parkway from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Airport Road will be closed from Bovaird to Countryside Drive from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the Sikh Martyrdom Parade.
Short-term construction closures
- Front Street West, from Spadina Avenue to Draper Street, will be closed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday for a crane hoist.
- Bloor Street East at Sherbourne Street North will have reduced lanes from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday for a crane hoist.
- Westbound Pottery Road, from Broadview Avenue to Bayview Avenue, will be closed from 8 p.m. on Friday to 8 p.m. on Saturday for bridge rehabilitation work.
- Westbound Lake Shore Boulevard East, between Parliament and Cherry streets, will be reduced to one lane from June 5 to June 9 due to road restoration.
Ongoing closures
- Queen Street is fully closed to traffic between Bay and Victoria streets to accommodate work on a new station for the Ontario Line subway. The closure is scheduled to last for at least four and-a-half years, until 2027.
- Lake Shore Boulevard West, from Rees Street to Spadina Avenue, is reduced to two lanes until May 31, 2024, for Enwave construction.
- Bathurst Street is down to a single lane each way at Laurelcrest Avenue for construction until the middle of August.
- Military Trail is closed from Ellesmere Road to Highcastle Road for road rehabilitation and slope stabilization. The project completion date has been delayed to the summer.
- Keele Street is reduced to a single lane about 100 metres north of Langstaff in Vaughan. Construction work is scheduled to finish this spring.
- Eastbound Queen Street, east of Bay street, has the right lane blocked for construction until September.
- Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.
With files from Jordan Kerr of CityNews