Protesters against COVID-19 measures march in Toronto after gathering at Queen's Park
CBC
A few hundred protesters marched in Toronto on Saturday to demonstrate against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The protesters waved Canadian flags of different sizes and honked horns. Initially, they gathered at Queen's Park before they headed downtown.
The march comes as police officers in Ottawa continue to force crowds of protesters away from Parliament Hill.
Overnight, in anticipation of protests again at the Ontario legislature, Toronto police closed several roads downtown. It is the third weekend in a row that police have created a perimeter around Queen's Park to stop traffic from reaching the site.
Police said several trucks came into the city on Friday night to cause disruption.
"We made the decision to close further roads to ensure more couldn't get in," police said in a tweet on Saturday.
"Thanks to the quick work of officers, the vehicles left. We continue to monitor the situation and will adapt our plans when needed."
The Toronto closures include the roads around Hospital Row, a stretch of University Avenue, south of College Street, where there is a string of hospitals.
Police said even though the closures are in place in the downtown core, officers are ensuring that pedestrians can access businesses and homes.
All roads are open to pedestrians, police said, adding that they will reopen the road when it is safe for them to do so.
"Ensuring Hospital Row remains clear is our priority," reads a tweet from the Toronto Police Service.
Police have told anyone who doesn't need to be in the area to avoid it.
Closures impact the area between Church Street west to Spadina Avenue, and from Davenport Road south to Queen Street West.
"Given the recent events in other cities, the TPS has deployed a greater number of uniformed police officers to the downtown core," a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
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The weather has certainly been gloomy, damp and windy over the past 10 days in Nova Scotia and it's going to continue this weekend.
Premier Susan Holt says the federal tax holiday on some goods announced Thursday could cost New Brunswick $62 million in revenue.
Thousands in Quebec's Montérégie region will not get their flu and COVID-19 vaccine directly at their seniors' residence anymore.
A 17-year-old boy is dead after he was shot by an RCMP officer in Norway House Cree Nation on Friday.
Saskatchewan road crews and residents alike are getting ready for another icy blast of winter this weekend.
Student leaders at the University of Alberta are criticizing the school's plan to hike tuition — particularly for international students.
Environment Canada says a new fall storm will bring winds gusting up to 110 km/h to southwestern British Columbia on Friday, potentially causing more outages and travel disruption.
Environment Canada says strong winds could cause damage to roofs and windows in P.E.I.'s Kings County and Prince County this weekend, with power outages possible from fallen tree branches.
City council has approved a 3.6 per cent increase in municipal property taxes for next year. The decision follows five days of debate on adjustments to next year's civic budget.
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish has resigned from the Peel Police Service Board.