Weekend need-to-know: Hot Docs and more Leafs playoff action

The annual Hot Docs festival is back in Toronto this weekend while the Leafs fight to even up their playoff series against the Boston Bruins at home.

Keep scrolling to see some of the events taking place in the city. As you make your plans, consult the list below for TTC closures and other transit disruptions, as well as ongoing road closures due to construction.

Events

Maple Leafs playoff action

Toronto Maple Leafs fans are looking to tie things up on Saturday against the Bruins in Game 4 at the Scotiabank Arena after dropping Game 3. The Bruins lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. The puck drops at 8 p.m. E.T.

Playoff games will be broadcast in Maple Leaf Square with gates opening two hours before the game’s start time. Fans can register for free passes through the Toronto Maple Leafs app starting at 1 p.m. on Friday.

The team hasn’t beaten the Bruins in the post-season since the 1950s.

Hot Docs Festival 2024

The annual Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival kicks off this weekend

The two-week long festival will feature 168 documentaries, representing 64 countries across 16 diverse programs. The filmmakers have been invited to introduce their films and participate in a Q&A afterwards.

Documentaries started airing on Thursday, April 25 and will run through May 5. A full schedule can be seen on their website.

Earth Day at Downsview Park

Celebrate Earth Day with lots of activities planned at Downsview Park on Sunday.

The event is free to the public but organizers say registration will be required to attend certain activities including tree-planting and guided nature walks.

They say it’s a great opportunity to learn about how to reduce your environmental footprint, connect with like-minded individuals and organizations.

A full list of activities is available on their website.

TTC/GO closures

No TTC or GO closures

Road closures

Ongoing Gardiner closures

As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, one westbound lane and one eastbound lane is closed between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed.

Temporary road closures

From 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., the following roads will be closed for Khalsa Day Parade on Sunday.

• Bay Street, from Hagerman Street to Queen Street West (Full)
• University Avenue, from Dundas Street West to Queen Street West (northbound and southbound curb lanes)
• Albert Street will be closed at Bay Street

From 5:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday, the following road restrictions will be in effect for the Bumrun Toronto charity run:

• Queens Park will be fully closed between Bloor Street West and College Street. 
• Bloor Street West will be closed to eastbound traffic between Avenue Road and Bay Street. 
• College Street will be reduced to one westbound lane between Queens Park and Spadina Avenue. 
• Spadina Avenue will be reduced to one northbound lane between College and Harbord Streets. 
• Bay Street will be reduced to one southbound lane between Bloor Street West and St Joseph Street. 
• St Joseph Street will be closed to westbound traffic between Bay Street and Queens Park. 
• Wellesley Street will be fully closed between Bay Street and Queens Park Crescent West. 
• Ursula Franklin Street will be fully closed between Spadina Crescent and Huron Street. 

Other temporary road closures:

Intermittent lane closures are in effect on Cherry Street south of Polson Pier due to maintenance on the Ship Channel Lift Bridge (Strauss Trunnion Bascule Bridge). Road users are able to access the Port of Toronto and Cherry Beach via Unwin Avenue.  

From 8 p.m. on Friday, April 26 until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, southbound lanes on Pharmacy Avenue will be closed between Chester Le Boulevard and Finch Avenue for the safe removal of a crane. Sidewalk access will be maintained. 

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, eastbound lanes and the south sidewalk on Sheppard Avenue West will be closed between Beecroft Road and Yonge Street for concrete pouring for a new residential building under construction. 

Bumrun Toronto 5K: 

Other ongoing city closures

• O’Connor Drive is down to a single lane each way between Bermondsey and Sandra for road reconstruction and sewer and watermain installation until the summer of 2024.
• The Yonge and Bloor intersection will be reduced to a single lane all ways for condo construction and sewer installation until 2025.
• University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane in both directions between College Street and Queen Street West to complete several infrastructure projects for the next several months.
• 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.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.
• Two northbound lanes of Yonge Street from King Street to Wellington Street are closed for TTC construction until Sept. 30, 2024.
• Finch Avenue West is reduced to a single lane in both directions from Dufferin to Wilmington for sewer installation until October 2024.
• Eglinton Avenue West is down to a single lane east of Islington and west of Scarlett Road for tunneling work related to the multi-year Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project.