Weekend need-to-know: Gardiner closure and art crawls

As fall creeps in, there are still lots of activities happening in the city this weekend including a pair of art crawls.

There will be a full closure of the Gardiner Expressway for 35 hours over the weekend so traffic will be slower than usual heading into the city.

Art Crawls on Queen West and Geary

The annual Queen West Art Crawl will be happening this weekend at Trinity Bellwoods Park. The cultural and artistic festival features an Outdoor Art Exhibition, Kids Zone, Performance Zone and food vendors.

The festival is free to enjoy and will kick off at 11 a.m. both days until 6 p.m.

Just a few minutes north, Geary Avenue will be turning into two-day celebration of art and culture. The neighbourhood festival will feature music, visual art installations, pop-ups, and food.

It’s happening on Geary between Ossington to just west of Dufferin Street.

RBC Race For The Kids

RBC Run for the Kids in support of youth mental health is happening this Saturday at Mel Lastman Square.

All proceeds from the race will go to the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Family Navigation Project, a non-profit program that assists youth, aged 13-26 and their families who are facing mental health and/or addiction issues.

The five-kilometre race will start and end at the Square with things kicking off at 8:30 a.m.

VegTO Fest

VegTO Fest is back for those who love vegan food and beyond. There will be activities, contents, panel conversations and musical performances with over 200 exhibitors.

The event is free to attend at Nathan Phillips Square starting on Saturday at 11 a.m. going until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Maple Leafs first preseason game

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be back on the ice for the first time this season when they face off against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.

It’s the first preseason game happening at Scotiabank Arena after another disappointing season last year and the first under new coach Craig Berube.

Tickets are still available for the game.

TTC closures

Line 2 Pape station bypass

On Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22, trains on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth will not stop at Pape Station due to Ontario Line construction. Metrolinx will be working near the station platform. Bus service at Pape Station will be unaffected, and the station will remain open.

Shuttle buses will run between Broadview and Coxwell stations.

Line 1 one-day closure

On Saturday, September 21,  there will be no subway service between York Mills and St. Clair stations for planned track work. Shuttle buses will operate.

Line 2 late opening

On Sunday, September 22, subway service on Line 2 Bloor-Danforth between St George and Broadview stations will start by 11 a.m. due to planned track work. Shuttle buses will operate on Danforth Avenue between St George and Broadview stations from the start of subway service (8 a.m.) to 11 a.m.

GO Transit closures

No Barrie Line service

There will be no GO train service on the Barrie line on Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22 while we perform important construction along the corridor. GO buses will replace trains between Barrie Bus Terminal and Highway 407 Bus Terminal as we work to improve your service.

Road closures

Gardiner Expressway closure

 The Gardiner Expressway is scheduled to be closed from 11 p.m. on Sept. 20 until 10 a.m. on Sept. 22 for maintenance, cleaning and inspections in order to ensure the long-term safety and reliability of the roadway.

Temporary road closures

RBC Race for Kids 

From 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 21, Yonge Street will be closed between Sheppard Avenue West and Cummer Avenue for the RBC Race for Kids.  

Morningside Avenue 

From Monday, September 23 to Monday, December 23, one northbound lane and the right turn lane on Morningside Avenue will be closed between Sheppard Avenue East and Milner Avenue on weeknights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for watermain cleaning and relining.  

The Bentway’s Dominoes event 

On Sunday, September 22, the following road restrictions will be in effect for The Bentway’s Dominoes event: 

• From 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., Niagara Street will be closed between Tecumseth and Wellington Streets. 
• From 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., Wellington Street West will be closed between Walnut Avenue and Tecumseth Street. 
• From 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., the following roads will be closed:
  • Bathurst Street between King Street West and Fort York Boulevard. 
  • Fort York Boulevard between Bathurst Street and Capreol Court. 
  • Dan Leckie Way between Fort York and Lakeshore Boulevards. 
• From 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., Queens Quay West will be closed between Eireann Quay and Little Norway Crescent. 
• At 4:45 p.m., the intersection of Lake Shore Boulevard and Bathurst Street will be closed briefly.  

Other new and ongoing city closures

• From 11 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, to 11 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15, eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard East will be reduced from two lanes to one lane between Logan and Carlaw Avenues due to road reconstruction on Lake Shore Boulevard East as part of the Port Lands Flood Protection project. Drivers will not be able to right turn onto Carlaw Avenue from Lake Shore. A detour will be in place via Logan Avenue and Commissioner Street.
• Park Lawn Road is down to a single lane from north of Lake Shore Boulevard to the Gardiner Expressway due to the construction of a proposed GO station in the area.
• Spadina Avenue streetcars have been replaced by buses between Spadina Station and Queens Quay, and until the end of the year, there will be no 510 service between Spadina Station and Union Station. Commuters wishing to travel onwards to Union from Queens Quay will need to transfer to a 509 streetcar.
• O’Connor Drive is down to a single lane each way between Bermondsey and Sandra for road reconstruction and sewer and watermain installation until the summer of 2024.
• 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.
• 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, at least four-and-a-half years.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction, which is scheduled to continue into 2024.
• Two northbound lanes of Yonge Street from King Street to Wellington Street are closed for TTC construction until Sept. 30, 2024.
• Finch Avenue West is reduced to a single lane in both directions from Dufferin to Wilmington until October 2024 for sewer installation.
• 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 Friday, July 12, the Progress Avenue bridge over McCowan Road and the ramp at Busby Drive to northbound McCowan Road will be permanently closed for demolition as part of construction on the Scarborough Centre subway station. Demolition is scheduled for completion in early September. Sidewalk access will be maintained.
• The eastbound lanes of Huntingwood Drive will be closed between Birchmount and Kennedy Roads for rehabilitation and improving bike lanes until Sept. 15. Westbound lanes will remain open.
• Until mid-October, both eastbound lanes and one westbound lane on Queen Street West will be closed at the York Street intersection for the installation of overhead wiring for the 501 Queen streetcar detour. One westbound lane will remain open.