Toronto continues to celebrate Pride Week on Saturday, offering several activities for residents before Sunday's highly anticipated finale parade event.
On Saturday morning, the Pride and Remembrance run began at 10 a.m. in support of the Casey House and Black CAP, two outreach programs which aim to reduce HIV/AIDS in Toronto's LGBTQ and African communities.
The event included a 5 kilometre race or walk and took place in the Wellesley Street East and Church Street area. Toronto police asked motorists to find alternative routes as sections of Wellesley Street East and both lanes of Queen's Park Crescent East were closed from about 8:30 a.m. until about noon on Saturday.
Women's march
In the early afternoon, Pride Toronto will host the annual Dyke March, which highlights the strength of women and transgender people in Toronto's LGBTQ communities. The march begins at 2 p.m. and begins at Bloor Street East and Church Street, before heading west on Bloor Street East, south on Yonge Street and ending at the intersection of Yonge Street at Carlton Street.
Toronto police are advising motorists that the following streets will be closed on Saturday, starting at about 1 p.m.
- Bloor Street West, from Bay Street to Jarvis Street
- Church Street, from Yonge Street to Hayden Street
- Carlton Street, from Bay Street to Jarvis Street
- Yonge Street, from Davenport Road to Gerrard Street
Parade organizers said about 20,000 participants are expected to attend the event.
Family activities
Pride Toronto will also host Family Pride on Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. The event features family-friendly activities and events including children's entertainers, arts and crafts and inflatable bouncy castles.
The event will take at place on the grounds of Church Street Junior Public School, on the southeast corner of Church Street and Alexander Street.
