What to know
- The Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade takes place Saturday, Aug. 1, with the parade route running through Exhibition Place and Lake Shore Boulevard West.
- Several major roads, including sections of Lake Shore Boulevard West and Gardiner Expressway ramps, will close starting early Saturday morning.
- Local traffic restrictions and increased parking enforcement will be in place throughout the area.
- GO Transit is adding extra westbound service from Union Station to Exhibition GO Station to help festival-goers get to the event.
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade returns this Saturday, bringing thousands of masqueraders and spectators to the city’s waterfront, and with it, a series of major road closures and transit changes.
The annual Grand Parade takes place on Aug. 1, beginning at 10 a.m., and is expected to once again draw massive crowds to celebrate Caribbean culture, music and community.
As one of Toronto’s largest summer events, drivers should expect significant traffic disruptions throughout the day, while festival-goers are encouraged to plan ahead and consider taking public transit.
Parade route
The parade will depart from the Exhibition Place grounds, travelling along Princes’ Boulevard before turning onto Canada Boulevard and westbound Lake Shore Boulevard West.
Masqueraders will continue west along Lake Shore Boulevard West before turning around approximately 100 metres west of Jameson Avenue and heading eastbound. The parade will return to Exhibition Place via British Columbia Road.
Road closures
Road closures will take effect at 12 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, and remain in place until 6 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2.
Closures include:
- Lake Shore Boulevard West between Fort York Boulevard and Colborne Lodge Drive
- Westbound Lake Shore Boulevard West between Bathurst Street and Fort York Boulevard will be open to local traffic only
- Southbound Strachan Avenue from Fleet Street
The following Gardiner Expressway ramps will also close beginning at midnight:
- Westbound Gardiner Expressway on-ramp at Jameson Avenue
- Eastbound Gardiner Expressway off-ramp at Jameson Avenue
- Eastbound Gardiner Expressway on-ramp from Jameson Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard West at British Columbia Road
- Westbound Gardiner Expressway off-ramp at Dunn Avenue
In addition, Lake Shore Boulevard West will be closed to traffic between Strachan Avenue and Parkside Drive in the westbound direction, and between Colborne Lodge Drive and Strachan Avenue in the eastbound direction.
The Princes’ Gates will also remain closed to vehicle traffic beginning at 1 a.m. on Saturday.
Local traffic restrictions
To help manage traffic and minimize disruptions for nearby residents, several streets will be restricted to local traffic only, including:
- Dufferin Street south of King Street West
- Dowling Avenue south of King Street West
- Stadium Road south of Lake Shore Boulevard West
- Queens Quay West west of Bathurst Street
- Springhurst Avenue east and west of Jameson Avenue
- Remembrance Drive
Parking enforcement will also be increased on streets south of King Street West, east of Colborne Lodge Drive and west of Bathurst Street. Drivers are reminded to obey all posted parking restrictions to avoid tickets or towing.
GO Transit adding extra service
For those planning to attend the parade by transit, GO Transit is adding five extra westbound trains from Union Station to Exhibition GO Station on Aug. 1 to help accommodate increased demand.
The additional departures are scheduled for:
- 9:57 a.m. (arriving at Exhibition GO at 10:05 a.m.)
- 10:32 a.m. (arriving at 10:40 a.m.)
- 1:57 p.m. (arriving at 2:05 p.m.)
- 2:37 p.m. (arriving at 2:45 p.m.)
- 2:57 p.m. (arriving at 3:05 p.m.)
With hundreds of thousands of spectators expected throughout the day, organizers recommend arriving early, allowing extra travel time and using public transit whenever possible.
