As Torontonians enjoy the last days of summer and families get settled into their new back-to-school routines, it remains vitally important that residents follow Toronto Public Health advice to stay home when ill, and to wash their hands often, practise physical distancing, and wear a face covering or mask in all indoor public spaces when going out.
Slowing down drivers to keep students safe
As students make their way back to class, all road users are encouraged to be mindful of their surroundings, share the road, stay alert and obey the rules to ensure everyone’s safety. The message to drivers is simple: Slow down and pay full attention. This year, the City’s 50 Automated Speed Enforcement cameras will be fully operational throughout the back-to-school season to protect the health and safety of children by curbing speeding and providing an opportunity to walk and cycle in a safe environment. More information is available here.
Community Environment Days start this weekend
The City of Toronto will hold its first 2020 Community Environment Day event this Sunday, September 13 at Disco Drop-Off Depot located at 120 Disco Road from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The drive-thru event will allow for the safe disposal of household hazardous waste and electronic items, and donation of household goods and clothing for reuse. Free bagged compost will be available for pickup with a limit of two bags per vehicle while supplies last. Environment Days will be held at the City’s Drop-off Depots on Sundays throughout September and October. More information is available here.
Registration for fall recreation programs and December camps
Registration begins this weekend at 7 a.m. on Saturday, September 12 and continues into next week. Torontonians can expect to see many of their favourite registered recreation programs, including swimming and skating lessons, on offer this fall. More information is available here.
City pools and splash pads
Torontonians can enjoy the last days of summer at the City’s 140 splash pads and 10 outdoor pool. Splash pads will remain open until September 20 and outdoor pools will close on September 13. The following outdoor pools offer drop-in leisure swimming from 1 to 6 p.m.:
Alex Duff, 779 Crawford St.
Donald D. Summerville, 1867 Lake Shore Blvd. E.
Heron Park, 292 Manse Rd.
Grandravine, 23 Grandravine Dr.
McGregor, 2231 Lawrence Ave. E.
Parkway Forest, 59 Forest Manor Rd.
Pine Point, 15 Grierson Rd.
Riverdale Park, 550 Broadview Ave.
Sunnyside-Gus Ryder, 1755 Lake Shore Blvd. W.
West Mall, 370 The West Mall
Indoor pools are open and a new online reservation tool is available for drop-in lane swim. In order to allow for physical distancing, pool capacity has been reduced and swimmers are limited to 45-minute sessions to allow for cleaning. Residents can contact their local pool or visit our website for more information including hours of operation.
Beaches
Lifeguards continue to supervise swim areas at the City’s four most popular beaches from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily until September 13. These four beached include Cherry Beach, Woodbine Beach, Kew Beach and Bluffers Park. People should only swim in the swim zones marked by yellow and red flags as these areas are lifeguard supervised. Swimming without the supervision of a lifeguard is not recommended. More information on the City’s beaches is available here.
It can be unsafe to swim, even at designated swimming beaches, for 48 hours after a rainfall due to the possible presence of high levels of bacteria that could pose a risk to human health. Toronto Public Health posts water quality reports for local beaches online through its SwimSafe program here. Residents are encouraged to check the website before heading to the beach.
Residents visiting a beach or park must practise physical distancing, avoid crowding, and behave responsibly. Bonfires on beaches, and organized parties, with excessive drinking and DJs with amplification of sound, are prohibited.
Bylaw officers, Toronto Police and Toronto Fire will have a highly visible presence at beaches and parking lots to ensure that crowds, bonfires and other prohibited activities do not occur or are dealt with quickly should they occur. Bylaw enforcement officers and Toronto Police will issue tickets related to bylaw infractions, including littering. Under the City’s Parks bylaw, parks and beaches are closed from 12:01 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. As needed this weekend, enforcement officers will be enforcing beach closure hours and clearing beaches after 12:01 a.m.
Parking restrictions will be in place on Saturday starting at 7 p.m. at Cherry Beach and Bluffer’s Park. Toronto Police will be present at all parking lot entrances. Vehicles leaving beach parking lots after 7 p.m. will be able to do so freely. Parking enforcement will also have a significant presence, with tagging and towing of illegally parked vehicles in the vicinity of beaches where parking is restricted.
Toronto Island Park’s public ferry
Ferry service operates daily at 50 per cent capacity with COVID-19 guidelines and procedures in place to protect passengers and staff. Tickets are limited to 5,000 per day and must be purchased online in advance at https://www.toronto.ca/ferry. Passengers are required to wear masks or face coverings and are encouraged to travel outside of peak times of 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from the ferry terminal to the island, and 5:30 to 9 p.m. for the return trip.
ActiveTO road closures and Quiet Streets
Parts of major roads in the city will be closed this weekend for ActiveTO, from Saturday, September 12 at 6 a.m. to Sunday, September 13 at 11 p.m.:
Lake Shore Boulevard West (eastbound lanes only) from Windermere Avenue to Stadium Road. As a result, the eastbound Gardiner Expressway off ramp to Lake Shore Boulevard West (exit #146) will also be closed
Bayview Avenue from Front Street East to Rosedale Valley Road, and River Street from Gerrard Street East to Bayview Avenue
Residents planning to use those roads should access them by bike or as a pedestrian because nearby parking is limited and there is no onsite parking available. Parking lots at Sunnyside Park, Budapest Park and Sir Casimir Gzowski Park will be closed all weekend during ActiveTO closures. Overnight parking is not permitted in these lots and any vehicles should be moved before midnight on Friday. More information can be found on the ActiveTO webpage.
CaféTO update
Curb-lane closures continue to be in place this weekend to accommodate cafés and patios for CaféTO locations throughout the city. The CaféTO program supports more than 760 restaurants with expanded dining space to allow for physical distancing.
Construction affecting downtown intersection
There will be a partial intersection closure at Lake Shore Boulevard and Jarvis St. this weekend so crews can safely remove and replace sections of the Gardiner Expressway above, as part of work to renew the expressway between Jarvis and Cherry Streets.
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 12 and from 6 a.m., Sunday, September 13 to 5 a.m. on Monday, September 14, westbound Lake Shore Boulevard will be reduced to three lanes leading up to Jarvis St and there will be no southbound access to Jarvis St. at Lake Shore Boulevard. Left turns will be prohibited in all directions and only northbound right turns will be permitted on Jarvis St. at Lake Shore Boulevard. In addition, the Gardiner Expressway will be reduced to a single eastbound lane from 6 a.m. Saturday, September 12 to 6 a.m. Sunday, September 13, between Yonge Street and Cherry Street to facilitate a concrete pour. There is no impact to the Gardiner westbound.
COVID-19 updates
The City’s website is updated daily with the latest health advice and information about City services, social supports and economic recovery measures. Check https://www.toronto.ca/COVID19 for answers to common questions before contacting the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline or 311. More information about requirements during Stage 3 is available here.
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.