As Easter events are being held across the Greater Toronto Area this weekend, federal election officials hope people will also consider taking the opportunity to cast a ballot on one of four advance voting days.
Throughout the Easter long weekend, there will be several closures and instances where operating hours are adjusted. Click here to see what’s open and closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Greater Toronto Area Easter Events
Toronto Beaches Easter Parade: It’s been a notable tradition in the city’s east end for decades and the Beaches Easter Parade is returning on Sunday. Beginning at 2 p.m., the parade starts at Queen Street East and Munro Park Avenue and it will go nearly two kilometres west on Queen Street East to finish at Woodbine Avenue.
Easter Egg Hunts at the Distillery Historic District: The Distillery Historic District will be a destination for the whole family this long weekend where approximately 4,000 colourful Easter eggs are going to be hidden across the property. The events will happen on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Registration is required and can be done on-site at the cabin on Gristmill Lane between 10 and 11:40 a.m. for children 12 and under. The Easter Egg Hunts will get underway at 12 p.m. Baskets can be borrowed and chocolate goodie bags will be handed out after.
Bloor West Village Easter Hop and Hunt: If you’re in the west end of Toronto on Saturday, the Bloor West Village Business Improvement Area is hosting a day of Easter fun with a scavenger hunt, photo opportunities, games, magic tricks, balloon twisting and other family-friendly activities. Participants are encouraged to bring baskets. Event check-in will happen at 2357 Bloor St. W. (the parking lot of the Turner and Porter Chapel) between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The BIA will also collect non-perishable items to donate to the local food bank.
The Kingsway Easter Fun for Everyone: The Kingsway BIA in Etobicoke will host its 2025 Easter Fun for Everyone event on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. There will be crafts, music, photo opportunities, a vendors’ market and more. The event is happening at Carpark 500 at 7 Jackson Avenue (just north of Bloor Street West and east of Royal York Road).
Toronto Zoo Spring Marketplace: The Toronto Zoo will host its fourth annual Spring Marketplace event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. There will be more than 40 vendors on site. Zoo admission tickets are required to access the event.
Pickering Easter Parade: Hosted by the City of Pickering and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 606, the Pickering Easter Parade will return to the streets on Saturday at 10 a.m. The parade begins at Liverpool Road and Annland Street and eventually ends at Kinsmen Park. A BBQ will be held at the legion (1555 Bayly St.) between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. where there will be complimentary lunch, games and entertainment.
Markham Easter Fun Fest: The Easter Fun Fest will return to the Markham Fairgrounds on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day. There will be several inflatables, rides and live entertainment shows for the kids. Tickets are required for entry.
South Simcoe Railway Easter Express: If you want to escape the big city, the South Simcoe Railway in Tottenham will run its Easter Express train trips on Saturday and Sunday. The Easter Bunny will host four trips each day and will hand out chocolates. While on board, there will be games and challenges. Ticket reservations are required.
Canada election advance voting to be held all weekend
Elections Canada will have all four of its advance voting days on the Easter long weekend. Eligible voters across Canada can cast a ballot on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. each day.
Click here for more information on voting in this year’s federal election.
TTC and GO Transit
TTC service update
Subway service on part of Line 2 Bloor-Danforth will start late on Sunday. Shuttle buses will run between St. George and Broadview stations between 8 and 11 a.m. Bay and Sherbourne stations will be closed to riders during this time. TTC staff said subway service should begin by 11 a.m.
The TTC will run a holiday service on Good Friday with routes operating on a Sunday schedule. Subway service will start at 6 a.m. and routes that don’t normally run on Sundays will not operate on Friday.
GO Transit service update
GO Transit will run on a Sunday schedule on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Road closures in Toronto
Beaches Easter Parade road closures
The following road closures will be in place on Sunday for the Beaches Easter Parade:
- 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Queen Street East between Munro Park Avenue and Fallingbrook Road (partial road closure)
- 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Queen Street East between Munro Park Avenue and Fallingbrook Road, Nursewood Road between Queen Street East and 24 Nursewood Rd. (full road closure)
- 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Queen Street East between Woodbine Avenue and Fallingbrook Road (full road closure)
- 2 to 4:30 p.m.: Woodbine Avenue between Queen Street East and Lake Shore Boulevard East, Lake Shore Boulevard East between Coxwell and Woodbine avenues (full road closure)
Gardiner Expressway closure
As part of the long-term construction plan on the Gardiner Expressway, one westbound lane and one eastbound lane are closed between Dufferin Street and Strachan Avenue. The eastbound on-ramp from Lake Shore Boulevard at Jameson Avenue is also closed.
As of April 16, a stretch of the westbound Gardiner Expressway will be reduced from four lanes to three for approximately one year. The westbound lane closure will stretch from Park Lawn Road to Grand Avenue in southern Etobicoke. The eastbound lanes along the same stretch will be narrowed, but with no lane reductions, from April 2025 to December 2026.
Temporary closures
- Yonge Street is reduced to a single lane both ways between Wellington and King for underground work at the TTC’s King Station to add new elevators and make it an accessible station. Construction is expected to continue into 2026.
- 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.
- 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 Sunday, January 12 until the spring, one northbound lane on the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) from the Eastern Avenue on-ramp to Queen Street East will be closed to accommodate work for the Eastern/Adelaide Bridges Rehabilitation Project. One eastbound and one westbound lane on Eastern Avenue will be closed between Sumach Street and Broadview Avenue. One eastbound lane on Adelaide Street will be closed between Sumach Street and Eastern Avenue.
- Queens Park Crescent is reduced to a single lane south of Bloor as part of the TTC’s Easier Access Program at Museum Station. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.
- Until Wednesday, December 31, William R. Allen Road will be reduced to two lanes in each direction at Wilson Avenue for construction as part of the rehabilitation of the Wilson TTC Station bus underpass structure and the Mezzanine Bridge.
- Until Monday, June 30, access to the Highway 401 westbound on-ramp from southbound William R. Allen Road will be closed. Detour signs will be in place to divert traffic to access Highway 401 using an alternate interchange nearby.
- Bremner Boulevard is reduced to one westbound lane at the intersection with Navy Wharf Court until June. Eastbound lanes remain open.
- Until August, Blue Jays Way is closed between Front Street and Navy Wharf Court until August. Local access is maintained.
- Navy Wharf Court is closed between Bremner Boulevard and Blue Jays Way until August. Local access for residents of Navy Wharf Court is maintained. At a later stage of construction, the east sidewalk on Navy Wharf Court and Bremner Boulevard will be closed to pedestrians and a detour route will be in place.
- Until Sunday, May 18, rolling lane closures will be in effect on Lake Shore Boulevard West between New Brunswick Avenue and Strachan Avenue for road restoration following the completion of underground Toronto Hydro work earlier this year.
- Islington Avenue will also be reduced from three lanes in each direction to two lanes where they pass over the Gardiner Expressway for approximately eight months, from April 7, 2025, to November 2025.
For full traffic updates, click here for the latest information from 680 NewsRadio Toronto.
With files from Meredith Bond and Patricia D’Cunha
