Weekend need-to-know: CNE is back

The Canadian National Exhibition is back in Toronto once again for a two-week run and there will be no TTC closures to get in your way.

Canadian National Exhibition

The Ex is back in town! Get ready for a Kool-Aid deep-fried chicken sandwich, the Gaming Garage and the new EX games.

The CNE is known for the interesting foods that make an appearance at the event every year.

This year, people can try deep-fried pickle Oreos, deep-fried butter chicken lasagna, a Kool-Aid deep-fried chicken sandwich, and more.

The first EX Games will be an exciting extreme sports half-pipe show featuring top athletes in skateboarding, BMX and in-line skating. Headlining the show is Andy MacDonald, fresh off his appearance at the Paris Olympics.

It will be capped off as always with the Air Show on the last weekend of The Ex.

For those taking public transit both GO Transit and the TTC will offer additional service for riders going to the CNE.

From 5 a.m. on Saturdays, to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays, British Columbia Road will be closed weekly between Lake Shore Boulevard West and Dufferin Street Bridge during the CNE.  

Police officers will be present at key intersections near the CNE. Traffic will be directed north on Dufferin Street towards King Street West. Signs will be in place this week to advise motorists of the closures. 

The event starts on Friday and runs until September 2.

King’s Plate

The King’s Plate will kick off the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown as the most prestigious championship Thoroughbred race at Woodbine Racetrack.

There will be fashion, food and fun all day Saturday as patrons watch North America’s oldest continuously run stakes event, racing for a $1 million purse.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and tickets are still available on their website.

Toronto Chinatown Festival

The 24th annual Toronto Chinatown Festival will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon with the theme “Soaring Dragon Dispensing Splendours”

Anyone walking through Chinatown during this two-day festival will be able to enjoy live, traditional dancing and opera performances, kung fu performances and multicultural street food, including BBQ squid, bubble tea and bubble waffle ice cream.

The Toronto Chinatown Festival will take place on the west side of Spadina Avenue between St. Andrew and Sullivan streets on Saturday between noon and 11 p.m. and on Sunday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.

A full list of programming can be found on their website.

Taste of Manila

Taste of Manila will be celebrating its 11th year of the festival that takes over the Wilson Avenue and Bathurst Street area.

There will vendors and visitors from all over the world that will be providing good food, unique treasures and you can also support local artisans while enjoying the festivities on stage.

It kicks off on Saturday at 10 a.m. and runs through to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Full details are available on their website.

TTC/GO Closures

No TTC/GO closures this weekend.

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

Canadian National Exhibition

From 5 a.m. on Saturdays, to 11:59 p.m. on Sundays, British Columbia Road will be closed weekly between Lake Shore Boulevard West and Dufferin Street Bridge during the CNE.  

Police officers will be present at key intersections near the CNE. Traffic will be directed north on Dufferin Street towards King Street West. Signs will be in place this week to advise motorists of the closures. 

Dufferin Street 

From 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, to 12 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, Dufferin Street will be closed between Billy Bishop Way and Yorkdale Road for safe bridge demolition. Traffic will be directed to detour east of Dufferin Street onto Allen Road. 

Mill Street 

From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, Mill Street will be closed between Trinity and Cherry Streets for the safe hoisting of mechanical equipment. Traffic will be directed to detour north of Mill Street on Front Street. 

Wellesley Street 

From 7 a.m. on Thursday, August 15 to 7 p.m. on Friday, August 16, the eastbound lane on Wellesley Street will be closed between Church and Jarvis Streets for repaving. 

Toronto Chinatown Festival  

From 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 17 until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, southbound lanes on Spadina Avenue will be closed between St. Andrew and Sullivan Streets for the Toronto Chinatown Festival. Northbound lanes on Spadina Avenue, as well as eastbound and westbound traffic on Dundas Street West will remain open.  

Panorama India Day Grand Parade 

From 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 17 to 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, University Avenue will be reduced to one lane from Queen to Dundas Street West for the formation of the Grand Parade. 

From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, the following road closures will be in effect for the Panorama India Day Grand Parade: 

• Northbound lanes on University Avenue from Queen Street West to Dundas Street West 
• Dundas Street West from University Avenue to Bay Street 
• Southbound lanes on Bay Street from Dundas Street West to Queen Street West 
• Queen Street West from Bay Street to University Avenue

Taste of Manila festival 

From 12 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, Bathurst Street will be closed between Wilson and Laurelcrest Avenues. Traffic will be directed to detour west of Bathurst Street on Wilson Heights Boulevard between Wilson and Sheppard Avenues. Detour signs will be in place.  

Wheels on Danforth 

From 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, Danforth Avenue will be closed between Byng Avenue and Danforth Road and Danforth Road between Danforth and Landry Avenues. Traffic will be directed to detour south of Danforth Avenue on Gerrard Street East, and Clonmore Drive between Victoria Park and Warden Avenues. Detour signs will be in place. 

Other ongoing city closures

• Spadina Avenue streetcars have been replaced by buses between Spadina Station and Queens Quay, and until the end of the year, there will be no 510 service between Spadina Avenue and Union Station along Queens Quay. Commuters wishing to travel onwards to Union from Queens Quay will need to transfer to a 509 streetcar.
• 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 until 2025 for condo construction and sewer installation.
• 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 until 2027, at least four and a half years.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction, which 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 until October 2024 for sewer installation.
• Eglinton Avenue West is reduced to a single lane east of Islington and west of Scarlett Road due to tunnelling work related to the multi-year Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project.
• Lane restrictions 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.
• 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. 
• From Friday, July 12, the Progress Avenue bridge over McCowan Road and the ramp at Busby Drive to northbound McCowan Road will be permanently closed for demolition as part of construction on the Scarborough Centre subway station. Demolition is scheduled for completion in early September. Sidewalk access will be maintained.