Weekend need-to-know: Charity runs continue on Mother’s Day weekend

It’s the season of the charity runs. This Mother’s Day weekend, the runs will continue with the Sporting Life 10K and Meagan’s Hug taking place.

Keep in mind, there will be some road closures related to the events as well as a partial subway shutdown of Line 1 on Saturday.

Sporting Life 10K and Meagan’s Hug

The Sporting Life 10K, benefiting Campfire Circle, provides camp-inspired programs that provide safe spaces for children with cancer or other serious illnesses, allowing the kids to be kids, once again.

The run starts at Yonge and Davisville and will end at Bandshell Park in Exhibition Place on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Meagan’s Hug, which raises funds for research into paediatric brain tumours, is taking place on Saturday. The walk begins at Hotel X and ends with a hug around SickKids Hospital.

For more details and how to sign up, click here.

PWHL playoffs, Blue Jays and Toronto FC in action

Game 2 of the PWHL Toronto-Minnesota series is happening Friday in Toronto as the hometown team holds a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. The game is happening at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.

The Blue Jays will kick off a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday evening at the Rogers Centre. Tickets are available for all three match-ups with the first pitch going out at 7:07 p.m. on Friday, 3:07 p.m. on Saturday, and 1:37 p.m. on Sunday.

Meanwhile, at BMO Field, Toronto FC will take on New York City at 7:30 p.m.

Comic Arts Festival

The Toronto Comic Arts Festival showcases Canada’s comic talents on a world stage while promoting some of the best creators and publishers to the event.

It’s happening on Saturday and Sunday at the Toronto Reference Library and is free to attend. More details about the event and programming over the weekend can be found here.

Spice Food & Wine Festival

The Spice Food & Wine Event is your chance to sample 45 ethnic food vendors, wineries and wine importers all in one outdoor venue.

A DJ will be keeping the party alive while attendees munch on Caribean, African, Indian, Thai and Latin American food amongst many others with wine tastings to match.

There will also be seminars scheduled throughout the day at the Fort York National Historic Site and the event will kick off at noon Tickets are still available.

Lite-Brite: Worlds of Wonder

Experience the magic of imagination brought to life in this captivating cinematic journey that combines the nostalgic delight of Lite-Brite – the classic kids’ toy – with the cutting-edge immersive technology of Illuminarium. Engage in 12 playable games for competitive or solo exploration using cutting-edge visual, audio, and projection technology that blankets the walls and floor to transport you to another world.

At the Distillery District until June 30, you can get more information and tickets here.

Cirque du Soleil – ECHO

With a tale about evolution as well as the symbiotic relationships that our lives depend on, Cirque du Soleil’s ECHO follows an inquisitive young woman named FUTURE as she wanders into a fantasy world that explores our sacred bond with animals and nature. Cirque du Soleil’s 20th Big Top show is packed with vibrant characters, inspiring music, astounding lights and projections, and never-before-seen acrobatic feats.

The show takes place under the Big Top at 2150 Lake Shore Blvd. W. until Aug. 4. For tickets and more information, click here.

TTC/GO closures

Line 1 partial closure

There will be no subway service both ways between Davisville and Sheppard-Yonge stations for planned track work on Saturday, May 11. Shuttle buses will operate.

Lakeshore West GO service update

Due to critical track work in the corridor, Lakeshore West trains will operate every 15 minutes between Union Station and Oakville GO and hourly between Oakville and West Harbour GO stations.

Some scheduled trains between Aldershot GO and West Harbour GO will operate via GO bus replacement.

Road closures

Ongoing Gardiner closures

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

Temporary road closures

Sporting Life 10K   

Between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, various road closures will be in effect in midtown and downtown Toronto for the annual Sporting Life 10K: 

• From 4 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Yonge Street will be closed between Lawrence and Davisville Avenues. Local traffic will be maintained between Lawrence and Eglinton Avenues.
  • Strachan Avenue and Fort York Boulevard will both be closed between Fleet Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West.
• From 4 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Lake Shore Boulevard West will be closed between British Columbia Road and Bathurst Street. Local traffic will be maintained between Remembrance Drive and Bathurst Street.
• From 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Yonge Street will be closed between Davisville Avenue and Wellington Street West.
  • Wellington Street West will be closed between Yonge and Bay Streets.
  • Bay Street will be closed between Wellington Street West and Lake Shore Boulevard West.
  • Westbound lanes on Lake Shore Boulevard will be closed between Bathurst Street and Bay Street.

Meagan’s Hug 

From 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, Elizabeth Street will be closed between Gerrard Street West and Elm Street for Meagan’s Hug

Don Valley Parkway 

From 10 p.m. on Friday, May 10 to 5 a.m. on Sunday, May 12, the Don Valley Parkway on-ramp and off-ramp at Don Roadway and Lake Shore Boulevard will be closed to facilitate Toronto Hydro work for Waterfront Toronto.   

Bayview Avenue 

Until fall, lane restrictions will be in place on Bayview Avenue between Roehampton Avenue and Armistice Drive while the City completes road resurfacing, curb and sidewalk replacement, and traffic signal and pedestrian upgrades. 

One northbound lane is currently closed on Bayview Avenue between Kilgour Road and Roehampton Avenue. Further lane closures will be communicated in advance. 

University of Toronto Science Rendezvous  

From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday May 11, St. George Street will be closed between Harbord and College Streets, and Ursula Franklin Street will be closed between Huron and St. George Streets for the annual University of Toronto Science Rendezvous event. 

Wellesley Street West 

From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, Wellesley Street West will be closed between Bay Street and Queens Park Crescent East while a generator is hoisted onto a building roof. 

Bleecker Street: 

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, Bleecker Street will be fully closed between Carlton and Wellesley Streets for the replacement of a Toronto Hydro transformer. Local access will be maintained. 

Cherry Street: 

Cherry Street remains closed 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. 

Lake Shore Boulevard: 

Until mid-June, between 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on weekdays, Lake Shore Boulevard will be reduced to two westbound lanes between New Brunswick Way and British Columbia Road for the replacement of a fence. 

King Street West: 

Until Tuesday, May 21, King Street will be closed around a rolling work zone between Mowat and Fraser Avenues for the replacement of aging TTC streetcar tracks. Sidewalk access will be maintained. Phased road closures will continue between Dufferin and Shaw Streets until September for this project, which is bundled with the replacement of a 146-year-old watermain. 

Highway 401 and Simcoe Street closure – Oshawa

• Simcoe Street in Oshawa will be closed between Bloor Street and Lviv Boulevard from 10pm on Friday May 10, until 6am on Monday May 13.
• Highway 401 will also be closed overnight Saturday into Sunday for bridge demolition. The highway will be shut down between Simcoe Street and Ritson Road from 11pm on Saturday May 11 to 5am on Sunday May 12.

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.