Road closures, more TTC and increased police presence for Saturday’s Grand Parade

The streets along Toronto’s lakefront will come alive with the music and costumes of the Caribbean Carnival’s Grand Parade on Saturday. That means several road closures and diversions will be in place for most of the day.

The parade is set to leave Exhibition Place at 8 a.m., travelling along Princes’ Boulevard to British Columbia Drive and onto westbound Lake Shore Boulevard. From there the estimated 10,000 masqueraders and performers will go west before turning south at Jameson Avenue, moving east on Lake Shore Boulevard before turning back towards Exhibition Place via Canada Boulevard, where the judging will take place.

2023 Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade route. CITYNEWS

The accommodate the parade the following road closures will be in place until 8 a.m. Sunday:

• Lake Shore Boulevard West from Bathurst Street to Colborne Lodge Drive
• Strachan Avenue from Fleet Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West
• Jameson Avenue from Springhurst Avenue to Lake Shore Boulevard West
• Dunn Avenue at Springhurst Avenue
• Dufferin Street at Springhurst Avenue
• Fort York Boulevard from Fleet Street to Lake Shore Boulevard West
• The Gardiner Expressway eastbound exit #149 to Dunn Avenue/Jameson Avenue; Gardiner westbound exit #149 to Lake Shore Boulevard/Jameson Avenue

Toronto police are asking residents and visitors to plan their journey into the city in advance, expect traffic delays and consider taking public transit. In order to assist with the flow of traffic and minimize disruption to residents, the following streets in the area will be restricted to local traffic only:

• Dufferin St. south of King St. W.
• Dowling Ave. south of King St. W.
• Stadium Rd. south of Lake Shore Blvd W.
• Queens Quay W. west of Bathurst St.
• Springhurst Ave. east and west of Jameson Ave.
• Remembrance Dr.

All vehicles, including tour buses, parked illegally on Lake Shore Boulevard West, Bathurst Street, Fleet Street, King Street West, Queen Street West, Roncesvalles Avenue, Dufferin Street and The Queensway will be tagged and towed. As well, vehicles parked illegally in the Parkdale area and in the Stadium Road area will also be removed.

While the Dufferin Street Bridge remains closed due to repairs, it will be open to foot traffic only on Saturday for those holding tickets to the Carnival inside the Exhibition grounds.

People wishing to access the free viewing areas are encouraged to use either Strachan or Dowling Avenues.

Additional TTC for Caribbean Carnival

The TTC has no scheduled subway closures this weekend and has added additional service for the Carnival.

Those attending the festivities can take Line 2 Bloor-Danforth to Dufferin Station and transfer to a dedicated shuttle bus that will operate between Dufferin Station and Springhurst/Dufferin Gate Loop, or exit at Bathurst Station and transfer to the 511 Bathurst streetcar. People can also take Line 1 Yonge-University to Union Station and transfer to the 509 Harbourfront streetcar.

There will be extra subway service on Lines 1 and 2 all day Saturday, and additional streetcar service on the 509 Harbourfront and 511 Bathurst.

Increased police visibility all weekend

Police say they will have increased visibility across the city, providing crowd control and traffic management in order to ensure public safety throughout the weekend.

“Toronto Police are expecting a busy weekend as people enjoy the 2023 Toronto Caribbean Carnival,” police said in a statement.

“We also expect a lot of activity at restaurants and nightclubs, and the Service will have dedicated resources in the downtown core and the waterfront in the evenings in order to respond quickly to any incidents.”

Police add residents and visitors are encouraged to approach officers with any concerns.

“We want people to enjoy the weekend and to celebrate the Caribbean Carnival safety and responsibly.”