Part 4 -- Toronto: December 17
Unofficial transit guide to the Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic flame is lighting up the City of Toronto.

Transit passengers should expect delays or detours as the Olympic Torch Relay to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games passes through Toronto on Thursday, December 17.

The City is hosting two community celebrations to welcome the torch to Toronto and the torch will spend the night in the city before moving onward toward Vancouver.


The Olympic Torch Relay affects these routes on December 17:

Brampton Transit77 Highway 7.

GO Transit32 Brampton - Toronto via Trinity Common, 40 Richmond Hill - Pearson - Mississauga express, 95 Oshawa - Finch via Highway 2 express, 96 Oshawa - Finch via Highway 401 express, 96B Oshawa - Scarborough - Finch via Highway 401 express.

Toronto Transit Commission6 Bay, 9 Bellamy, 11 Bayview, 16 McCowan, 21 Brimley, 24 Victoria Park, 25 Don Mills, 28 Davisville, 34 Eglinton East, 36 Finch West, 38 Highland Creek, 42 Cummer, 51 Leslie, 53 Steeles East, 54 Lawrence East, 56 Leaside, 60 Steeles West, 67 Pharmacy, 78 St Andrews, 85 Sheppard East, 91 Woodbine, 94 Wellesley, 95 York Mills, 97 Yonge, 97A Yonge via Yonge Blvd, 98 Willowdale / Senlac, 100 Flemingdon Park, 103 Mt Pleasant North, 115 Silver Hills, 122 Graydon Hall, 124 Sunnybrook, 125 Drewry, 133 Neilson, 134 Progress, 142 Downtown / Avenue Rd express, 162 Lawrence - Donway, 501 Queen, 502 Downtowner, 505 Dundas, 506 Carlton, 512 St Clair.

York Region TransitViva blue, 2 Milliken, 5 Clark, 23 Thornhill Woods, 88 Bathurst, 91 Bayview South, 99 Yonge South.


After leaving Thornhill, the torch arrives in Toronto.

Toronto has two celebrations to welcome the torch in Albert Campbell Square at the Scarborough Civic Centre and in Nathan Phillips Square at City Hall.

The City of Toronto is closing

  • Bay Street between Dundas and Queen Streets West

from 5:30 until 8:15 p.m. to accommodate the City Hall event.

As the torch passes through Toronto, the Toronto Police Service and the City of Toronto will also temporarily close and then re-open streets to traffic to protect the safety of the torchbearers and their companions.

The torch starts its journey through Toronto on Yonge Street at Steeles Avenue West about 1:55 p.m., then proceeds:

southward along Yonge to Highway 401, arriving at about 2:39 p.m.

The torch then proceeds eastward along Highway 401 by convoy to the area of the Scarborough Civic Centre.

The second leg of its journey starts at Grangeway Avenue and Progress Avenue around 2:54 p.m., then proceeds:

southward along Grangeway;
westward along Bushby Drive and Town Centre Court,
arriving at Albert Campbell Square at about 3 p.m.

After leaving, the Square, the flame continues

southward along Town Centre Court;
westward along Borough Drive;
southward along the west approach to Borough Drive; and then
westward along Ellesmere Road to Brimley Road,
arriving at about 3:36 p.m.

The torch then travels by convoy along Ellesmere Road to Crocus Drive (west of Warden Avenue.)

It leaves Ellesmere and Crocus at 3:41 p.m. and proceeds:

westward along Ellesmere, Parkwoods Village Drive and York Mills Road; and then
southward along Yonge Street to College Street, arriving at about 6:16 p.m.

Former Olympian and TTC employee, Murray Dowey, then carries the torch aboard a streetcar westward along College Street to Elizabeth Street.

The torch then proceeds:

southward along Elizabeth Street;
westward along Elm Street;
northward along University Avenue;
eastward along Gerrard Street West;
southward along Yonge Street; and then
westward along Queen Street West to Nathan Phillips Square,
arriving at about 7 p.m.


The Olympic Torch Relay affects Brampton Transit, GO Transit, TTC and York Region Transit services in Toronto on December 17.

Brampton Transit

77 Highway 7

From about 1:30 until 2:15 p.m., passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street south of Centre Street.

GO Transit

32 Brampton - Toronto via Trinity Common

From about 1:30 until 2:15 p.m., westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street south of Centre Street.

95 Oshawa - Finch via Highway 2 express
96 Oshawa - Finch via Highway 401 express
96B Oshawa - Finch - Scarborough via Highway 401 express

From about 2:15 until 2:45 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect detours and delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Finch GO Bus Terminal and Highway 401.

TTC
6 Bay

From about 5:30 until 8:15 p.m., southbound buses operate along their regular route to Bay Street and Dundas Street West, then detour:

westward along Dundas West;
southward along University Avenue; and then
eastward along Adelaide Street West to Bay,
resuming their regular route southward along Bay.

Northbound buses operate along their regular route to Bay Street and Richmond Street West, then detour:

westward along Richmond West,
northward along University Avenue; and then
eastward along Dundas Street West to Bay,
resuming their regular route northward along Bay.

From about 6 until 7 p.m., south- and northbound passengers should also expect delays as the torch passes along College Street and Gerrard Street West at Bay Street

11 Bayview

From about 4:15 until 4:45 p.m., south- and northbound passengers passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along York Mills Road at Bayview Avenue.

From about 5:30 until 6 p.m., south- and northbound passengers should also expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Davisville Avenue / Chaplin Crescent.

9 Bellamy

From about 2:45 until 3 p.m., northbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Grangeway Avenue and Bushby Drive.

21 Brimley

From about 3:15 until 3:45 p.m., south- and northbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Ellesmere Road at Brimley Road.

506 Carlton

At about 6:16 p.m., torchbearer Murray Dowey, a former Olympian and 40-year employee of the TTC, carries the torch onto a westbound streetcar at Yonge and Carlton / College Streets. He rides the car to Elizabeth Street.

From about 6 until 6:30 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along College Street between Yonge and Elizabeth Streets.

42 Cummer

From about 2 until 2:30 p.m., west and eastbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Cummer / Drewry Avenues and Finch Station.

28 Davisville

From about 5:30 until 6 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Davisville Avenue / Chaplin Crescent.

25 Don Mills

From about 4 until 4:30 p.m. south- and northbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along York Mills Road and Don Mills Road.

142 Downtown / Avenue Rd express

From about 4:15 until 4:45 p.m., northbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along University Avenue between Elm Street and Gerrard Street West.

502 Downtowner

From about 6:30 until 7 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Queen Street West between Yonge and Bay Streets (Nathan Phillips Square).

125 Drewry

From about 2 until 2:30 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Drewry / Cummer Avenues and Finch Station.

505 Dundas

From about 6:30 until 7 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Dundas Street.

34 Eglinton East

From about 5:15 until 5:45, west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Eglinton Avenue.

36 Finch West

From about 2 until 2:30 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Finch Avenue.

100 Flemingdon Park

From about 5:15 until 5:45, west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Eglinton Avenue.

122 Graydon Hall

From about 4:15 until 5 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along York Mills Road between Lesmill Road and York Mills Station.

38 Highland Creek

From about 2:45 until 3 p.m., south- and northbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Bushby Drive / Town Centre Court at McCowan Road.

162 Lawrence - Donway

From about 5 until 5:30, west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Lawrence Avenue.

54 Lawrence East

From about 5:15 until 5:45, west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Eglinton Avenue.

56 Leaside

From about 5:15 until 5:45, north- and southbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Eglinton Avenue.

51 Leslie

From about 5:15 until 5:45, north- and southbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Eglinton Avenue.

16 McCowan

From about 2:45 until 3 p.m., south- and northbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Bushby Drive / Town Centre Court at McCowan Road.

103 Mt Pleasant North

From about 5:15 until 5:45, north- and southbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Eglinton Avenue.

133 Neilson

From about 2:45 until 3 p.m., south- and northbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Bushby Drive / Town Centre Court at McCowan Road.

67 Pharmacy

From about 3:30 until 4 p.m., north- and southbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Ellesmere Road at Pharmacy Avenue.

134 Progress

From about 2:45 until 3 p.m., northbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Grangeway Avenue and Bushby Drive.

501 Queen

From about 6:30 until 7 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Queen Street West between Yonge and Bay Streets (Nathan Phillips Square).

78 St Andrews

From about 4:30 until 5 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along York Mills Road between Upper Highland Crescent and York Mills Station.

512 St Clair

From about 5:30 until 6 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at St. Clair Avenue.

85 Sheppard East

From about 2:15 until 2:45 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Sheppard Avenue.

115 Silver Hills

From about 4:15 until 5 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along York Mills Road between Leslie Street and York Mills Station.

53 Steeles East

From about 2 until 2:30 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Steeles Avenue and Finch Station.

60 Steeles West

From about 2 until 2:30 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Steeles Avenue and Finch Station.

124 Sunnybrook

From about 5 until 5:30, west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Lawrence Avenue.

24 Victoria Park

From about 3:30 until 4 p.m., south- and northbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Ellesmere Road / Parkwoods Village Gate at Victoria Park Avenue.

94 Wellesley

From about 3:45 until 4:15 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Wellesley Street.

98 Willowdale / Senlac

From about 2:15 until 2:45 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street at Sheppard Avenue.

91 Woodbine

From about 4 until 4:30 p.m., southbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along York Mills Road between Valleywoods Drive and Silverdale Crescent.

97 Yonge

From about 1:45 until 7 p.m., passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Steeles Avenue and Queen Street.

97A Yonge via Yonge Blvd

From about 5 until 6:15 p.m., north- and southbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Yonge Boulevard and Pleasant Boulevard.

95 York Mills

From about 3 until 5 p.m., west- and eastbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Ellesmere Road, Parkwoods Village Drive and York Mills Road between McCowan Road and York Mills Station.

York Region Transit
88 Bathurst

From about 1:45 until 2:15 p.m., passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Steeles Avenue and Finch Terminal.

91 Bayview South

From about 1:45 until 2:15 p.m., passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Steeles Avenue and Finch Terminal.

5 Clark

From about 1:45 until 2:15 p.m., passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street south of Clark Avenue.

2 Milliken

From about 1:45 until 2:15 p.m., passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street south of Doncaster Avenue.

77 Highway 7 - Centre

From about 1:30 until 2:15 p.m., east- and westbound passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street south of Centre Street.

23 Thornhill Woods

From about 1:45 until 2:15 p.m., passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street between Steeles Avenue and Finch Terminal.

Viva Blue

From about 1:15 until 2:15, passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street south of Bantry Avenue.

The Olympic Torch Relay also affects this route as it travels through Richmond Hill and Thornhill.

99 Yonge South

From about 1:15 until 2:15, passengers should expect detours or delays as the torch passes along Yonge Street south of Bantry Avenue.

The Olympic Torch Relay also affects this route as it travels through Richmond Hill and Toronto.