The Toronto Police Service says it has closed roads around hospitals and has taken various steps to prepare for an anticipated “convoy” protest at Queen’s Park this weekend.
“Demonstrations will be taking place in the city this weekend,” Toronto police said in a tweet Friday morning.
There are several hospitals located just south of Queen’s Park — a stretch in the downtown known as “hospital row.” As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, the roads were closed.
Police said hospital staff, workers, patients, family and people collecting patients will have access.
“These closures could remain in place all weekend,” the police tweeted.
“We will continue to assess the situation and make any adjustments where needed. We will continue to update the public. Please avoid demo areas, where possible, as it is likely to cause delays.”
In an update Friday evening, police said Queen’s Park Crescent, and parts of Queen Street West and Bay Street, were also affected by closures.
“Additional rolling and static closures in and around the downtown core can be expected throughout the weekend,” police said.
The move comes as a poster circulating online titled “Convoy for Freedom Toronto” lists several meet-up locations, most at GTA malls, to head to Queen’s Park for noon on Saturday.
Some demonstrators were already starting to show up in downtown Toronto Friday afternoon.
A cross-country convoy of truckers and supporters descended on Ottawa last weekend demanding vaccine mandates, among other COVID-related restrictions, be dropped. Some protesters have remained camped out in the capital for a week, leading to road and business closures.
Toronto police Chief James Ramer, Staff Supt. Lauren Pogue, and Toronto Mayor John Tory held a press conference Friday afternoon where they discussed preparations being made ahead of the anticipated protest.
“Our objectives will be to ensure the public safety and to limit disruption to the city and its residents as much as possible,” Ramer said.
“We have plans in place and we continue to communicate with the very group of organizers of these protests. The service is required to facilitate peaceful demonstrations. This will be balanced by our priority to ensure public safety, to protect hospitals and infrastructure and the city’s emergency response needs.”
Ramer said residents should expect to see a large police presence in the downtown core and at various locations around the city over the weekend.
“We have done our best to plan for this based on all the information we have. Our approach will necessarily evolve based on what we see in real time,” he said.
Ramer said police will be prioritizing access routes to hospitals and added that anyone who attempts to disrupt emergency routes or access to hospitals “will be subject to strict enforcement.”
Pogue said preparations for this weekend include the deployment of more officers to the downtown core, parking restrictions, additional CCTV cameras, and road closures. She said updates will be provided throughout the weekend through the media and on social media.
Pogue added that officers have been directed to have body-worn cameras turned on “for the duration of the event.”
Tory said police are making preparations, along with assistance from the City, “because we all want to do everything we can to avoid the situation that we’re seeing in Ottawa.”
“If anyone is planning to come here for a protest that is not peaceful and that is not respectful, I would urge you on behalf of all Toronto residents and businesses to please stay home,” Tory said.
The mayor said he has spoken with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, and Premier Doug Ford.
“In our conversations, all three offered their help and the help of their governments to the City of Toronto if required throughout this protest,” Tory said.
“As mayor I don’t direct the police, no elected official does or should, but I have made it clear to Chief Ramer that I will support his men and women doing everything they can reasonably do to avoid the type of situation currently being faced by Ottawa residents and businesses.”
Tory noted that some COVID restrictions eased in Ontario just this past Monday, meaning this is the first weekend in several weeks that some businesses will be allowed to be open.
Ramer said there will be areas where, if protesters want to park their vehicles, they will be able to be placed while causing “minimal disruption.”
“Then they can travel by foot or public transit to Queen’s Park and they can demonstrate in person. But vehicles will not be congregating around Queen’s Park,” Ramer said.
He said officials will assess the event as it progresses and work with crowds and organizers.
He said the intention of police is that areas around Queen’s Park will not be used for people to encamp “or stay permanently for any duration of time.”
As for why police have made much larger preparations for this protest as opposed to other ones that have occurred during the pandemic, Ramer said based on events around the country and intelligence that has been gathered “we feel that these steps are appropriate.”
Ford also released a statement Friday afternoon where he pledged support for the Toronto and Ottawa police services.
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Ford also called for an end to “the occupation” in Ottawa.
“To all Ontarians, we are moving in the right direction – please don’t lose sight of that. We are seeing brighter days ahead. Public health measures are beginning to lift as the situation in our hospitals stabilizes,” Ford said.
“We’re stronger as a province, and as a country, when we’re all pulling in the same direction. Let’s move forward together so we can be done with this pandemic once and for all.”
Impacts on hospital operations
In a memo obtained by Global News, University Health Network sent an email to staff advising them it could take longer to get into work over the weekend due to the protest and to plan for delays and consider using public transit.
Mount Sinai Hospital said it recommended its ambulatory clinics review appointments and reschedule non-urgent care, while Women’s College Hospital said its urgent care clinic would not offer in-person appointments Saturday, though it opened an additional clinic on Friday.
The Hospital for Sick Children also rescheduled some appointments, it said.
“The majority of postponed appointments are for non-urgent ultrasounds. Appointments that can’t be postponed due to medical reasons will proceed,” said Jessamine Luck, a spokeswoman for SickKids.
“Our care teams will be reaching out to any patients and families whose appointments may be affected. Plans are in place to help ensure staffing levels are maintained and any disruptions to patient care are minimized.”
— With files from The Canadian Press
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