You’re Invited: Celebrate Canada Day & Toronto Events with Road Closures July 1 – 4, 2011

The annual Canada Day celebration on the front (south) lawn of the Ontario Legislature at Queen’s Park will feature a 21-gun salute to be fired by the 7th Toronto Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery, and the singing of O Canada.

FREE Canada Day activities include:

• a meet-and-greet with beloved kids’ character Shrek; and

• inflatable rides, crafts, arcade games and a special kids show.

The day’s celebrations are all FREE and will begin with a citizenship ceremony to welcome new Canadians – with activities and entertainment following from noon until 5:00 p.m.

The following Queen’s Park road closures will be in effect Friday, July 1, 2011, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.:

o Queen’s Park Crescent East from College St. to Wellesley St. West

o Queen’s Park Crescent West from College St. to Hoskin Ave

o Grosvenor St. from Queen’s Park Crescent East to Surrey Place

Please click here for the complete itinerary of Canada Day events – FREE – at Queen’s Park.

Canada Day Celebration Highlights at Harbourfront Centre: FREE

• Canada Day (July 1) events include
  • a screening of Talespinners 2, seven short animated films for kids from the National Film Board of Canada,
  • make a Canadian maple leaf sun visor at the Canada Day Crafts station, and
  • sign up for one of the Strawberry Cooking Classes for Kids
  • YTV will even be on-site with their W.O.W. Tour!
  • during On the Pulse, you can play The Real Life Where’s Waldo? Game,
  • learn about the Arts & Animals of Colombia, and more!

• “O! Canada is the results of an online singing competition using the National Anthem. Through social networking we have generated an overwhelming response to our call-out for your take on “O Canada”… without changing any of the lyrics of course.”
  • Please click here to visit the online contest page.
  • 4:00PM – 4:30PM at 235 Queens Quay West
  • map

• Strawberry Culinary Marathon with Lesley Mattina of OMG Baked Goodness

Please click here for the complete itinerary of Canada Day events – FREE at Harbourfront Centre.

Also, please click here for site map, directions, parking operation hours and contact info.

CANADA DAY 2011 Events across Toronto

Please click here for all of the celebrations (most are FREE) being planned for this weekend.

If you’re hosting a public event, be sure to post the details.

Other various ways you can celebrate Canada Day across Toronto include:

• Mel Lastman Square (5100 Yonge St.) from 8 to 10:30 p.m.
  • FREE Live musical performances by Ray Robinson and nine-piece powerhouse King Sunshine.
  • FREE event will end with a spectacular fireworks display.
  • Please click here for more details.

• City parks, outdoor swimming pools and wading pools will be open on Canada Day, as will City historic sites.
  • Community centres will be closed on July 1.
  • Please click here for the City’s swimming pools schedules.
  • For more information about online water quality reports for local beaches, please click here.

• The Toronto Zoo is open this Canada Day long weekend.
  • Families can cool off at Splash Island
  • Take in one of the Zoo’s amazing animal shows
  • Visit the endangered African penguins – new to the Toronto Zoo – or
  • Check out the sharks at Stingray Bay Exhibit.
  • Please click here for more information.

• Scarborough’s 44th Annual Canada Day Celebration will be held in Thomson Park (1005 Brimley Rd.) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Celebratory activities will include a pancake breakfast, buskers, bouncy inflatables, gladiator jousting, a DJ, and live entertainment featuring Solid Sound International, Southern Fried, the Toronto All Star Big Band and Clave Kings.
  • Families can also enjoy the kids’ craft area and crafts show and sale.
  • Explore the Thompson Park Memorial Museum.
  • Learn more about tennis through demonstrations.
  • Seniors will also have the opportunity to participate in the Slo-Pitch Challenge ball game.
  • More information is available by calling 416-396-4039.
  • The 44th Annual Canada Day Parade
    • begins at 4 p.m. west of the Scarborough Civic Centre on Brimley Road,
    • ending at Lawrence Avenue East and Brimley Road at about 5:30 p.m.
    • features marching bands, drum and bugle corps, Miss Toronto, antique cars, clowns and floats.
    • More information is available by calling 416-396-7566.

• The fireworks display at Milliken Park (Steeles Road and McCowan Road) will begin at dusk.
  • For more information, please call 416-396-7757.

Toronto North: FREE

• The Old Style Community Picnic will be held at the Broadlands Community Centre and Park (19 Castlegrove Blvd.) from 1:30 to 4 p.m.,
  • hosted by the O’Connor Hills Ratepayers Association in conjunction with Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation division.
  • Activities include face painting, games, clown entertainment and folk singing.
  • More information is available at 416-395-7966.

Toronto South and Central: FREE

• The annual Canada Day fireworks display at Ashbridges Bay Park (Lake Shore Boulevard East, at the foot of Coxwell Avenue) will start at 9:45 p.m.
  • Those planning to attend should use public transit and leave personal vehicles at home.

• Hosted by East York Toronto Canada Day Corporation in co-operation with Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation division, East York’s 54th Annual Canada Day Parade motorcade
  • will start at 9 a.m. at the East York Town Centre (45 Overlea Blvd.).
  • The motorcade will then make its way to Dieppe Park, where
  • the marching bands will start at 10 a.m.
  • The motorcade will then travel east to Stan Wadlow Park, at 888 Cosburn Ave., where the motorcade parade is scheduled to finish at noon.

• The celebrations at Stan Wadlow Park will
  • begin at 11 a.m. and finish at 10 p.m.
  • Residents will be able to enjoy bingo, live entertainment and a display of antique cars.
  • The fireworks display will start at 10:15 p.m. and the park will close at 11 p.m.

Toronto West: FREE

• The 12th Annual Toronto Ribfest will be held at Centennial Park (256 Centennial Park Rd.)
  • throughout the full Canada Day long weekend from June 30 to July 3, running from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
  • Activities include 13 professional ribbers from Canada and the United States, live music and midway rides.
  • A spectacular fireworks display will be held at 10 p.m. on July 1 to celebrate Canada Day.
  • Admission and parking for the Toronto Ribfest and Canada Day Weekend event are FREE.
  • Please click here for more information.

• The Amesbury Canada Day Committee’s 26th annual Canada Day event at Amesbury Park (1507 Lawrence Ave. W.)
  • will start at 10 a.m.
  • Activities include a pancake brunch, barbecue, live entertainment, marketplace, strongman’s competition and activities for children.
  • A fireworks display will start at 10 p.m.
  • Please click here for more information.

• Canada Day Celebrations at Weston Lions Park (2125 Lawrence Ave. W.) will run
  • from 5 to 10 p.m., concluding with a fireworks display.
  • Festivities include live entertainment and children’s activities.
  • More information is available by calling 416-392-4091.

Toronto’s Historic Sites/Museums on Canada Day

In addition to the preceding parades and parks events, seven City of Toronto historic sites/museums will present a mixture of regular and special programming on Canada Day as follows:

• Canada Day at Fort York National Historic Site: FREE
  • Fort York, 250 Fort York Blvd
  • Canadian musicians and artists will perform, among them Chris Mckhool’s Fiddlefire,  Kehewin Native Dance Theatre, and storytellers Shadow Puppetry and Bag of Trix, who will perform a break dance routine and present a workshop.
  • There will also be a musket and artillery drill with fife-and-drum music.
  • Visitors can enjoy tours, bring a picnic and learn the story of this national historic site.
  • Hours of operation on Canada Day are from noon to 5 p.m.
  • A Fort York Historic District Walking Tour
  1. Starting and ending at the canteen at Fort York National Historic Site, this special walking tour explores the evolution and history of Fort York and the nearby Lake Ontario shoreline.
  2. Learn about the origins of Fort York, the fortification of the harbour, local railway and road building, and the subsequent industrial and recreational development of this vital area.
  3. The tour will take place rain or shine, starting at 1 p.m. and finishing at 2:30 p.m.

For more information about the Canada Day events at the Fort York National Historic Site, call 416-392-6907.

• Canada Day at Gibson House Museum: Admission is “pay what you can”
  • Celebrate Canada’s birthday with a journey to the community of Willow Dale, circa 1851, at the Gibson House Museum, 5172 Yonge St. – just north of the North York Centre Subway Station.
  • Experience a taste of the past with homemade ice cream, children’s activities in the Discovery Gallery and old-fashioned games on the lawn.
  • Admission is “pay what you can.” Gibson House Museum will be open on Canada Day from noon to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m.

• Dominion Day Celebration at Montgomery’s Inn
  • Celebrate Canada’s birthday with tea and strawberry shortcake at Montgomery’s Inn, 4709 Dundas St. W. at Islington Avenue.
  • Admission is $10 plus tax and is first come, first served. Montgomery Inn will be open on Canada Day from 1 to 4 p.m.
  • For more information about the Dominion Day Celebration at Montgomery’s Inn, call 416-394-8113.

• Cake it up Canada at Scarborough Museum: Admission is by donation
  • Visit the Scarborough Museum, 1007 Brimley Rd., just north of Lawrence Avenue in Thomson Memorial Park, for cake and karaoke on Canada Day.
  • Visitors will be able to sample historic treats and can consider entering a pie-eating contest.
  • Families will also be able to share why they believe Canada is a great country at the Canadian Broadcast Speakers’ Corner.
  • Peameal bacon sandwiches and fresh strawberries with ice cream will be on sale as a fundraising activity for the Canadian Heritage Celebrate Canada Program.
  • Hours of operation on Canada Day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is by donation. Parking spaces will be limited.
  • For more information about Cake it up Canada at the Scarborough Museum, call 416-338-8807.

• Canada Day Weekend at Spadina Museum
  • If you have not seen Spadina Museum, 285 Spadina Rd., since its interior restoration, the long weekend will be a great time to visit.
  • Enjoy a stroll through the historic gardens that are already in bloom.
  • Take one or more of the new themed tours that highlight the 1920s and ’30s.
  • Please click here for the schedule of tours.
  • Regular admission applies: Adults $7.62; Seniors and Youth 13 to 18, $4.76; Children 6 to 12, $3.81 plus tax.
  • Hours of operation are from Friday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

• Canada Day at Todmorden Mills: FREE
  • Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy an afternoon in the Don Valley to celebrate Canada Day at
  • Todmorden Mills, located at the bottom of Pottery Road, east of the Bayview extension, west of Broadview Avenue.
  • Tour the 19th century buildings, sample treats prepared in a historic kitchen and enjoy special activities for children.
  • Hours of operation for Canada Day are from noon to 4 p.m.
  • Please click here for special directions due to road work.

For more information about City of Toronto historic sites and museums, please click here.

City Services on July 1

• The Toronto Transit Commission/TTC system will operate on a holiday schedule – similar to regular Sunday service. Subway and most routes will start at 6 a.m. on Friday, July 1.

• The City’s residential garbage, recycling and organics collection will proceed on the usual Friday schedule.

• Toronto’s long-term care homes will remain open on Canada Day.

• City child-care centres will be closed for the day.

• All City emergency services and 24-hour operations will be provided as usual on Friday.

• For emergency response, call 911.

• City offices will be closed for the Canada Day holiday.

• The City’s 311 information service will be operating as usual.

Please click here for the City website.

Events with Toronto Road Closures

• Canada Day Celebration at Queen’s Park, Friday, July 1 closure:
  • Queen’s Park/Queen’s Park Circle, from College Street to Charles Street, will be closed from
  • 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Canada Day Parade in Scarborough, Friday, July 1 closure:
  • Brimley Road will be closed from:
  1. Progress Avenue to Ellesmere Road from 1 to 6 p.m. and from
  2. Ellesmere Road to Lawrence Avenue from 3 to 8 p.m.
  • Ellesmere Road will be closed from Midland Avenue to McCowan Road from 4 to 5 p.m.

• Pride Day Festivities Weekend closures:
  • Church Street, from Carlton Street to Hayden Street, will be closed from Friday, July 1 at 6 p.m. to Monday, July 4 at 6 a.m.
  • Pride and Remembrance Run – Saturday, July 2:
  1. Wellesley Street, from Jarvis Street to (and including) Queen’s Park Circle,
  2. Closed on Saturday, July 2 from 9 a.m. to noon.
  • Dyke March – Saturday, July 2:
  1. March route: starting at Church and Hayden Street, north on Church Street to Bloor Street East, west on Bloor Street East to Yonge Street, south on Yonge Street to Wood Street, and east on Wood Street back to Church Street
  2. Closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (March is from 2 to 4 p.m.)
  • Pride Parade – Sunday, July 3:
    • Formation area: Rosedale Valley Road, from Bayview Avenue to Park Road Parade route: starting at Church Street and Bloor Street East, west on Bloor Street East to Yonge Street, south on Yonge Street to Gerrard Street, and east on Gerrard Street back to Church Street.
    • Closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Parade from 2 to 6 p.m.)

• Corso Italia Fiesta Weekend Closures:
  • St. Clair Avenue, from Dufferin Street to Lansdowne Avenue,
  • will be closed from Saturday, July 2 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, July 3 at 11:59 p.m.
  • There will also be some local streets closed in this area as a result of this event.

Happy 144th Birthday Canada! / Joyeux Anniversaire Canada!

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CELEBRATE CANADA!: National Aboriginal Day, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day.