City of Toronto's long-weekend activities include fireworks finale at Ashbridges Bay Park on Victoria Day

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:

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News Release:  May 14, 2015  

City of Toronto's long-weekend activities include fireworks finale at Ashbridges Bay Park on Victoria Day

The City of Toronto will offer a wide variety of activities for residents on Monday, May 18, including the annual Victoria Day fireworks display at Ashbridges Bay. Many family attractions, including two farms, three historic sites and other facilities described below, will be open. City recreation centres will be closed on Victoria Day and recreation programs will not operate that day.

The City of Toronto will host Victoria Day fireworks at Ashbridges Bay Park starting at 10 p.m. on May 18. The show will feature about 2,000 fireworks, with a spectacular finale.

Ashbridges Bay Park is located on Lake Shore Boulevard East at the foot of Coxwell Avenue and is easily accessible by public transit. TTC service will be increased between Queen Street East and Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) on the 22A Coxwell, 64 Main and 92 Woodbine South bus routes. Members of the public are urged to use public transit and leave personal vehicles at home.

City bylaws prohibit members of the public from setting off or selling fireworks in any City park. Enforcement officers will be on site to help ensure a safe and enjoyable event at Ashbridges Bay.

Golf: Toronto has five municipal golf courses that are open daily, including on Victoria Day. More information about the City-run golf courses is available at http://www.toronto.ca/golf.

Tennis courts: All public tennis court sites will have nets up and will be available for use throughout the Victoria Day weekend. Public sites are free and available to the general public. Tennis players are asked to share the courts by limiting their play time to half-hour intervals if others are waiting to use the courts. More information on tennis is available at http://www.toronto.ca/tennis. 

Splash pads: Splash pads will begin to operate across the City on Saturday, May 16, with the few exceptions at sites under repair or located on outdoor pool decks. Splash pads operate daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and are activated through push-button features.  Caregivers are reminded to supervise their children at these unsupervised water play areas. Information about splash pad locations, closures and late opening sites is available at http://bit.ly/1Etsbt1 or call 311.  

Riverdale Farm: Riverdale Farm is a family attraction where visitors can see traditional farm animals such as cows, horses and chickens. While there, visit the farm residence and the Cabbagetown Regent Park Museum. Riverdale Farm will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 19. Admission is free. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/zoo or by calling 311

High Park Zoo: Victoria Day is a great time to see the High Park Zoo's spring babies. The zoo, located on Deer Pen Road, offers domestic and exotic animals. Visitors can hand-feed the llamas on weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. This animal attraction is open daily, year-round from 7 a.m. to dusk. More information: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/zoo

Toronto Island Park: Catch a ferry to Toronto Island Park for a scenic picnic, hike or bike ride. The interactive Franklin Children's Garden is another attraction. Ferry schedule and fares: http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/ferry-schedule.htm

On beautiful, sunny days the islands are a major attraction. It is best to arrive in the morning to shorten your trip and avoid lineups. Toronto's ferries can carry more than 4,000 passengers an hour to and from the Islands. The peak-times schedule is available at http://www.toronto.ca/ferry.

Greenhouses: A wide variety of flowers are in full bloom at Centennial Park Conservatory (151 Elmcrest Rd.) and Allan Gardens Conservatory (19 Horticultural Ave.) Both conservatories are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Information is available by calling Centennial Park Conservatory at 416-394-8543 and Allan Gardens Conservatory at 416-392-7288, or visit http://www.toronto.ca/conservatories.

Historic sites

Three of the City's 10 historic sites – Fort York, Montgomery's Inn and Spadina Museum – will offer events, activities and tours on Victoria Day. The remaining sites will be closed on May 18. Programming highlights for the open locations are listed below. Admission fees and participant details for activities will vary by location.

Fort York National Historic Site (250 Fort York Blvd) From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fort York will offer tours, demonstrations of English country dancing and Georgian-era cooking techniques and kids activities such as soldier drills.

Montgomery’s Inn (4709 Dundas St. W.)

From 1 to 4 p.m., admission to the inn will include an afternoon tea and a tour. 

Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Rd.)

From noon to 5 p.m., the museum will be open and will offer tours from the perspective of the Austin family. The museum was the Austins' home for more than a century.

More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/museum-events.

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://bit.ly/1PlcH4B

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 contacts:

Parks, Forestry and Recreation media line, 416-560-8726, pfrmedialine@toronto.ca Shane Gerard, Strategic Communications, 416-397-5711, sgerard@toronto.ca (for information about the historic sites)