Thursday, August 13, 2015

Information for the public – Parapan Am Closing Ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square August 15, 2015

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release:  August 13, 2015

Information for the public – Parapan Am Closing Ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square

As the end of the 2015 Parapan Am Games approaches, preparations are underway to transform Nathan Phillips Square into the TO2015 venue for the Closing Ceremony, scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 15. While access to secured areas on Nathan Phillips Square will be limited to athletes with Games accreditation, there will be limited space available at the southeast area of the Square and the east and southeast portions of the elevated walkways for the public to view the proceedings. In addition, members of the public are invited to watch a live broadcast on Bay Street adjacent to the Square – and give a final farewell and show of support to Parapan Am athletes.

The successful PANAMANIA celebrations on Nathan Phillips Square came to an end last night. To prepare for the Closing Ceremony, staging work on Nathan Phillips Square has already begun. It includes draining and covering the Reflecting Pool to accommodate seating, and temporarily relocating the 3D TORONTO sign to the east side of the site for the event.

On Saturday, August 15 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., only individuals with TORONTO 2015 Parapan Am accreditation will be able to access the secured area on Nathan Phillips Square. City Hall will also be closed to the public during this time.

The secured area on Nathan Phillips Square will stretch from the Reflecting Pool up to, and including, the front doors of City Hall. The podium roof, portions of the elevated walkway and the west parkette will also be secured.

In addition to the limited public viewing areas on the Square itself, members of the public are encouraged to come out and watch a live broadcast of the Closing Ceremony from a large public viewing area that will be located on Bay Street. To accommodate residents who would like to partake in a final show of hospitality and support for Parapan Am athletes, Bay Street will be closed to vehicular traffic from Queen Street to Dundas Street from 4 p.m. to midnight. 

Detailed information about road closures is available at http://bit.ly/1MkBJNB.
  
The live Closing Ceremony pre-show begins on the Square at 7:30 p.m., with the main show and live broadcast getting underway at 8 p.m. The ceremony will conclude with a fireworks show from the podium roof at City Hall.

More information about the Parapan Am Closing Ceremony is available at http://www.toronto2015.org.

Note to media:
Media wishing to access the secured area of Nathan Phillips Square during the Closing Ceremony must have TO2015 Parapan Am accreditation. There is no parking for any media vehicles on the Square, with the exception of those pre-arranged for the official broadcaster. Media without accreditation are welcome to cover activities anywhere outside of the secure/barricaded areas of the Square.

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1f9L11D

Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.

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Media contact: Wynna Brown, Strategic Communications, 416-919-6503, wbrown1@toronto.ca

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