parade | as I walk Toronto

Posts Tagged ‘parade’

Raptors take over the city

Posted: June 17, 2019 in events, people
Tags: banners, baseball caps, basketball, Canadian flag, celebrate, champagne, crowds, dump truck, flags, nathan phillips square, parade, people, Raptors, red, signs, T-shirts, team, video, we the north, wine

Today was the day of the parade to celebrate the Raptors NBA Championship win. Today was the day that downtown was immobilized. Like many of the thousands (millions) of people, I couldn’t get anywhere near the parade. I also couldn’t get into Nathan Phillips Square, the end point of the parade. I am not sure I wanted to! Too crowded. Besides, walking around the periphery of Nathan Phillips Square still gave me a plethora of opportunities to take lots of pictures of people out celebrating.

below: Bay Street was one of the many streets that were closed. Two large screens showed footage of the parade as it progressed. In this photo, you can see a sea of red at the Prince’s gates, the entrance to the Exhibition grounds.

below: A larger picture of the screen. This photo was taken at 10:49 a.m. The parade was supposed to start at 10 a.m. I am not sure what time it arrived at Nathan Phillips Square, I was already long gone by the time it did.

below: Red for Manchester United as well!

Greek Independence Day Parade

Posted: March 25, 2019 in events, locations, people
Tags: banners, Canadian flags, crowd, flags, genocide, Greek, Greek flags, groups, Helles, Macedoia, parade, people, spectators

Greek Independence Day is March 25, comemorating the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. Prior to that, they had been part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 400 years, since 1453. Yesterday there was a parade along the Danforth to mark the occasion.

There were people with banners representing many groups including the Cultural Society of Kilkis and Suburbs,

the Thessalon Federation of Ontario, and many more,

below: There was only one float in the parade. It was a memorial to those who died in the Greek genocide during and after WW1 when the Christian Ottoman Greeks living in Anatolia (now part of Turkey) were killed or driven out.

Labour Day Parade 2018

Posted: September 3, 2018 in events, people
Tags: ACTRA, AFL-CIO, Amalgamated Transit Union, Canadian Media Guild, CNE, CP24, CUPE, dog, Doug Ford, flags, IATSE, Jennifer Keesmaat, justice, lock out, millwrights, NDP, OPSEU, parade, pay equality, people, placards, protest, rights, sex ed, signs, slogans, Sprinkler Fitters of Ontario, Toronto Civic Employees Union, TTC, unions

below: IATSE Local 58 led the parade this year. They have been locked out of the CNE who brought in workers from Quebec and Alberta to help set up the Ex this year. Usually the parade ends at the CNE grounds at the Dufferin Gate and participants get free admission to the Ex. This year, the parade ended at Lamport Stadium instead.

below: Mayoral candidate, Jennifer Keesmaat, walked in the parade with the IATSE locals. At Bathurst St., the groups at the front slowed down to let the others catch up. At that point, Keesmaat was interviewed by CP24.

Pride Parade 2018

Posted: June 27, 2018 in events, people
Tags: #prideto, #pridetoronto2018, #torontopride2018, balloons, banners, bubbles, costumes, crowds, drag, Dundas, feathers, flags, floats, garlands, glitter, hearts, LGBQT, LGBT, love, mask, outfits, parade, people, police, pride, protest, rainbow, sign, silver, skimpy, swim suit, Toronto, unicorn, Yonge

Pictures from the annual Pride Parade down Yonge Street – my apologies for the large number but everyone is just so photogenic and engaging!

Dyke March 2018

Posted: June 24, 2018 in events, people
Tags: #dm2018, #dmto, banners, bikes, bubbles, colour, crochet, dyke march, dykeversity, flags, garlands, LGBTQ, motorcycles, parade, people, pride, rainbow, Rainbow Sistas, resist, signs, trans, unicorn, women, yarn, Yonge Street

The rain let up long enough for the Dyke March to parade across Bloor and down Yonge without everyone getting wet. Lots of colour and sparkle was on display along with lots of enthusiasm and fun! This year’s theme was Resist as seen on this crocheted banner.

St. Patricks day parade

Posted: March 12, 2018 in events, people
Tags: flags, GAA, Gaelic, green, Ireland, Irish, leprechaun, parade, people, shamrock, St. Patricks day, watching

The St. Patricks Day parade in Toronto is usually just a small parade – certainly not as big and crazy in places like Boston or New York City. Part of the problem might be the fact that the weather is usually cold. This year the parade was 6 days before St. Patricks Day. I’m not sure when it started or how it happened, but Toronto’s parade is on the Sunday before the actual day. At least the sun was shining this year. It may be a small parade but those who show up, either to watch or to participate, seem to have a good time. A few photos from this year’s parade:

below: Police on horseback led the parade. Here they are passing the TV cameras.

below: Carlton, the Toronto Maple Leafs mascot, was there. Once upon a time, the Maple Leafs were known as the St. Pats and they wore green uniforms.

below: 32 flags, one from each of Ireland’s 32 counties. The GAA is the Gaelic Athletic Association.

below: Five Deloreans (cars) parked by the flags for the parade, before joining it at the end. This is directly across Bloor Street from where the TV cameras were. Deloreans were made near Belfast but for only a short time in the early 1980’s (1981- 1983). About 9200 cars were produced. The Delorean company went bankrupt in December 1982.

below: Carrying Donegal County flags

below: Doug Ford, now the leader of the Ontario PC party joined the parade.

below: That’s quite the hair – he insisted that it was natural but I think it’s because of the green beer…..

below: Maybe it’s true, maybe everyone is Irish on St. Patricks day.

below: What would St. Patricks day be without a leprechaun or two?

All For One in first

Posted: December 11, 2017 in events, people
Tags: all for one, banner, champions, crowd, fans, football, nathan phillips square, parade, people, police, red, red and white, scarves, signs, soccer, supporters, tfc, Toronto FC, walking, waving

On Saturday Toronto FC, Toronto’s pro soccer team, won the MLS (Major League Soccer) championship when they beat the Seattle Sounders 2 – 0 in the finals. To celebrate, there was a parade from Maple Leaf Square, near the Air Canada Centre, up Bay street to Nathan Phillips Square.

The team was founded in 2005 and began playing in 2007. They were the first Canadian team in Major League Soccer. Since then, 2 other Canadian teams have joined the league, Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact. There are 22 teams altogether.

below: A line of photographers join the parade

below: Outside Nathan Phillips Square.

below: She had the action happening right in front of her – including me!

below: The team players made their entrance into Nathan Phillips Square with lots of people lining the barricades. You’ll notice that I have no photos of the players themselves. It was just too crowded. Besides, I have more interest in the fans and supporters!

below: ‘All For One’ in the Toronto FC motto.

The space in front of City Hall was crowded! Hundreds of fans in red and white filled most of the available spaces around the Christmas Fair booths. They also lined all the upper ramps and walkways. There were speeches and then….. I will admit to running off to find a warm drink in a warm place instead of sticking around to listen! I don’t follow soccer but considering the size of the crowd today plus the fact that attendance at a TFC game averages over 27,000, many others do follow it….. soccer has definitely found a home in Toronto.

Let’s go to the Ex!

Posted: September 1, 2017 in events, people
Tags: bears, beer bottles, CNE, Elsa, family, flag, food, fries, games, kids, luck, midway, minions, parade, people, prizes, rubber duckies, Skyride, stuffed animals, stuffies, The Ex

Late August in Toronto means that the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is in town. Today, since Labour Day weekend is upon us and summer is drawing to a close, I thought that I’d post this year’s crop of photos from the Ex. Food, games, rides, and people watching fun!

below: Elsa parades through the CNE grounds

below: Family games

below: An arm down, and just three feet, on number 21

below: The excitement (and terror?) of CNE rides.

below: On the Skyride with the CN Tower in the distance

below: Riding high above the minions.

below: Elvis Stoyko carried the Canadian flag at the closing of the ice skating & aerial acrobatics show at the Ricoh Centre.

below: Choose a ducky to see what prize you’ve won!

below: Beer bottle targets and the mess that results.

below: Rainbow coloured versions of the poop emoji were very popular this year.

below: Some people have more luck than others!

below: Gathering the spun cotton candy

below: Only a few can sleep through the crowds and noise of the Ex!

When Irish feet were dancing

Posted: March 20, 2017 in events, people
Tags: bands, banners, bar, dancers, dog, faces, families, feet, flags, floats, green, hats, Irish, kids, men, music, musicians, oversized, parade, people, shamrock, silver Elvis, St. Patricks day, ties, women

St. Patricks Day Parade, 19 March 2017

Watching floats, bands, banners, flags, leprechauns, bagpipes, drums, dancers, hurlers, soccer players, dragons, shamrocks, leprechauns, crazy hats, green hats, green everything, but most of all, people.