Roads around Queen’s Park reopened late Saturday night with an increased police presence around the provincial legislature as officers prepare for a potential convoy demonstration over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Parts of Queen’s Park Crescent and the section of University Avenue known as Hospital Row were blocked to traffic by several police cruisers on Saturday night.
Traffic running along College Street was blocked from going either left or right at Queen’s Park, while those driving on Dundas Street were unable to head north along University Avenue.
Toronto police told Global News those closures ended around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night, although an increased police presence will remain in the area.
The road closures were set up “out of an abundance of caution” after police were alerted to a potential demonstration “involving several vehicles.”
A police spokesperson said the threat of a convoy demonstration involved the same group that triggered road closures in late September.
On the morning of Sept. 26, police unexpectedly closed roads around Queen’s Park, citing a potential vehicle demonstration.
“Our intelligence is indicating it’s a demonstration involving vehicles to come to the City of Toronto and we are closing the roads to ensure the roads stay clear,” Duty Inspector Suzanne Redman told reporters on the day.
Redman said the demonstrators were believed to be part of the Save The Children protest group.
She would not speculate on the number of vehicles planning to attend but said “they are intending to block roads and infrastructure and we are going to limit the access to the downtown core.”
Roads reopened the same day.
— with files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues