Downtown Toronto roads reopen after expected protest didn’t materialize

Roads around Queen’s Park, hospital row were closed for several hours

CBC News · Posted: Sep 26, 2023 5:07 AM PDT | Last Updated: September 26

Toronto police reopened roads around Queen’s Park and hospital row in the downtown core Tuesday after an anticipated convoy-style protest didn’t materialize.

Police had closed stretches of Queen’s Park Crescent, University Avenue and Wellesley Street for several hours in advance of what they said was a possible “demonstration involving a large number of vehicles.”

The closures were intended to keep emergency routes to downtown hospitals open and limit other disruptions in the area, police said.

In a tweet announcing the road reopenings, police said they would “continue to monitor, assess, and act upon the latest, credible information.

“We thank the public for their patience.”

Earlier Tuesday, Insp. Suzanne Redman said a protest was planned by an informal group calling itself “Save the Children,” unrelated to the international non-profit organization of the same name.

There was a heavy police presence throughout the morning on the grounds of the provincial legislature, which included officers from the Toronto Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Last week, protests and counter-protests framed around gender and sexual education in schools took place across the GTA and Canada.