Toronto Prepares Victoria Day Fireworks at Ashbridges Bay Park — What Is Victoria Day In Canada
Toronto’s what is victoria day in canada plans center on fireworks at Ashbridges Bay Park, scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Monday. Road closures in the area start at 9 p.m., so people heading to the waterfront need to plan for access before the show begins.
That same Monday, retailers in Ontario have the option to open under changes to the province’s shopping laws, while stores and transit agencies are running holiday schedules. The mix of open shops, adjusted mall hours and transit changes gives Toronto residents several routes to get what they need before the evening crowd builds near the park.
Ashbridges Bay Park at 10 p.m.
The city’s annual Victoria Day fireworks are set for Ashbridges Bay Park at 10 p.m. Monday. The 9 p.m. road closures create the most immediate issue for anyone driving into the area, since the streets around the park will close an hour before the fireworks start.
People using the waterfront after dark will be competing with holiday traffic and the closure window. The schedule leaves little room to arrive late, especially for anyone trying to get close to the park after 9 p.m.
Ontario stores and malls on Monday
Ontario’s shopping-law changes mean retailers can open on Victoria Day if they choose, and they can still stay closed. Most major supermarket chain locations will be open, including Loblaws, Metro and Sobeys and their discount brand stores.
The LCBO will open 304 stores from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, and the Beer Store will have 97 locations open. Rabba Fine Foods locations will be open, along with some downtown Farm Boy stores at 777 Bay Street, 29 Bathurst Street, 207 Queens Quay West and 100 Queens Quay East.
Several malls in the GTA will also trade on adjusted holiday hours. Yorkdale Shopping Centre, CF Fairview Mall and CF Sherway Gardens will be open, the Eaton Centre will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Vaughan Mills and Square One will also be open with adjusted hours. Pacific Mall and Toronto Premium Outlets will operate on regular hours.
TTC and GO Transit schedules
The TTC will run on its holiday schedule for Victoria Day, with all routes operating on Sunday service and starting earlier around 6 a.m. GO Transit will use its Saturday schedule on Monday.
Metrolinx will keep Finch West Line 6 closed for the entire long weekend for infrastructure upgrades, from 2:30 a.m. on Friday to 4 a.m. next Tuesday. The UP Express train will be replaced by a bus due to construction, and that bus will skip the Bloor, Mount Dennis and Weston stations.
For riders, that means the holiday is not just about shorter hours at shops and malls. It also changes how people move across the city, especially if they are trying to reach Ashbridges Bay Park before the 9 p.m. road closures or get home after the fireworks begin.
