Weekend need-to-know: Toronto celebrates 191st anniversary

The sectors under the city include public health, planning, City Hall operations, employment and social services, ambulance dispatch, child care, and 311, among others. Photo: City of Toronto.

Posted April 3, 2025 10:49 am.

Last Updated April 5, 2025 7:36 am.

It’s Toronto’s 191st birthday and they are inviting all residents to celebrate with them. Keep in mind, there will be two subway closures this weekend.

Celebrate Toronto

This weekend is Toronto’s 191st anniversary, and the City is celebrating with a big birthday bash at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday.

The Toronto Made Market at the square will feature over 150 local vendors offering crafts and art. Local food stalls will offer a variety of delicious eats, and there will be a licensed bar area.

There will be live music all day and the event will be capped off with fireworks at 9 p.m. over Toronto City Hall.

The event runs from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free to attend.

Toronto Vintage Show

Vintage lovers will be in heaven at the Toronto Vintage Show this weekend. The show, now in its 13th year will feature over 130 vendors that have been carefully curated and include a selection of vintage fashion and accessories from a range of eras.

It starts on Saturday from 10 a.m. until Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Queen Elizabeth Building in Exhibition Place.

Tickets are available here.

WWF CN Tower Climb for Nature

Thousands will attempt to conquer the CN Tower’s 1,776 steps this weekend as part of the 33rd annual WWF CN Tower Climb for Nature.

The landmark event has been held at the CN Tower since 1991 to restore and protect habitats for Canada’s most at-risk species. Last year’s event saw 5,500 climbers raise $1.5 million.

Saturday’s climb is sold out but you can still register to climb on Sunday at wwf.ca/cntower.

Leafs and Raptors in action

With both their regular seasons winding down, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors are both in action this weekend.

The Raptors will play the Detroit Pistons at Scotiabank Arena on Friday night. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.

The following night, the Maple Leafs, who just clinched their playoff spot, will face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

TTC/GO closures

Line 1 closure

Subway service on Line 1 between Sheppard West and Lawrence West stations will be replaced by shuttle buses on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6, for planned track work.

Regular subway service will resume Monday, April 7, at approximately 6 a.m.

Line 2 closure

Subway service on Line 2 between Warden and Kennedy stations will be replaced by shuttle buses starting at 11 p.m. on Friday, April 4 and continuing on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6, for planned expansion work at Kennedy Station.

Regular subway service will resume Monday, April 7, at approximately 6 a.m.

Road closures

Gardiner Expressway closure

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.

Weekend closures

Avenue Road

From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, Avenue Road will be reduced to one northbound lane and two southbound lanes between Lowther and Boswell Avenues for the safe use of a crane hoist.

Park Road

From 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, Park Road will be closed to northbound traffic between Rosedale Valley Road and Church Street for Toronto Hydro to undertake electrical work. Southbound traffic will be maintained.

Temporary closures

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.
Yonge Street is reduced to a single lane both ways between Wellington and King for underground work at the TTC’s King Station to add new elevators and make it an accessible station. Construction is expected to continue into 2026.
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.
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 Sunday, January 12 until the spring, one northbound lane on the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) from the Eastern Avenue on-ramp to Queen Street East will be closed to accommodate work for the Eastern/Adelaide Bridges Rehabilitation Project. One eastbound and one westbound lane on Eastern Avenue will be closed between Sumach Street and Broadview Avenue. One eastbound lane on Adelaide Street will be closed between Sumach Street and Eastern Avenue.
Queens Park Crescent is reduced to a single lane south of Bloor as part of the TTC’s Easier Access Program at Museum Station. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
Until Wednesday, December 31, William R. Allen Road will be reduced to two lanes in each direction at Wilson Avenue for construction as part of the rehabilitation of the Wilson TTC Station bus underpass structure and the Mezzanine Bridge.
Until Monday, June 30, access to the Highway 401 westbound on-ramp from southbound William R. Allen Road will be closed. Detour signs will be in place to divert traffic to access Highway 401 using an alternate interchange nearby.
Bremner Boulevard is reduced to one westbound lane at the intersection with Navy Wharf Court until June. Eastbound lanes remain open.
Until August, Blue Jays Way is closed between Front Street and Navy Wharf Court until August. Local access is maintained.
Navy Wharf Court is closed between Bremner Boulevard and Blue Jays Way until August. Local access for residents of Navy Wharf Court is maintained. At a later stage of construction, the east sidewalk on Navy Wharf Court and Bremner Boulevard will be closed to pedestrians and a detour route will be in place.