Bundle up, Toronto: a frosty Tuesday with a few real traps
Three degrees and a frost advisory, a couple of downtown detours, and a packed night of shows across the city.
Morning, T.O. It's a cold one. We're sitting at 3°C under partly cloudy skies, and with a frost advisory in place for Toronto and Peel and Halton tonight into Tuesday morning, anything you've got sitting outside is going to be crusted over. Scrape the windshield before you head out, give yourself an extra few minutes, and keep the hat handy. The UV is a mild 3, so sunglasses are optional, but the wind chill is what'll get you. Sunset is 6:16 PM, so you're looking at just over ten hours of daylight, and if you're planning anything after dinner, dress for the dark and the cold.
Getting downtown, the big thing to know is Bay Street. It's closed from 61 metres north of Albert down to 76 metres south of Hagerman, so if you're driving through the core, plan a different route or leave a bit earlier to make up the time. College Street also has a closure running 18 to 39 metres west of Robert, so if you're heading that way, give yourself some room.
The 305 Dundas is on detour, rerouted via McCaul, Queen West and Spadina because of a fire investigation, so if you ride it, check your stop before you hop on. The 510 Spadina has no service between the Union Station streetcar platform and the Queens Quay loop while crews respond to a medical emergency, so think about walking the last stretch or switching to a bus. On the subway, Line 1 is seeing delays southbound between Davisville and Union because of service adjustments, so build in some buffer if you're taking Yonge-University this morning.
A couple of local stories are worth your attention. The mayoral race is heating up, with Olivia Chow leading Brad Bradford 52 to 44 in the latest final poll, which means your civic chatter is about to get louder. And if you've been hoping to get married at City Hall, know that no civil weddings are on the books there in 2027 because of construction. Meanwhile, the Toronto Sunday Market is staying put at Parkdale Hall through 2027 while the Phoenix Concert Theatre plan moves ahead, so your Sunday routine is safe for now.
For lunch or dinner, Crosstown Craft BBQ is opening its first permanent spot on Comstock Road next month, which is a good excuse to bookmark it. Black+Blue has landed on Tripadvisor's list of best fine dining restaurants in Canada, so if you've been saving a special night out, that's a reliable pick. And Chapman's pecan butter tart ice cream just took an international best ice cream award, which on a cold October day is a very reasonable reason to go get a cone anyway.
Tonight the marquee is Olivia Rodrigo with Wolf Alice at Scotiabank Arena, starting at 7:00 PM, so if you've got tickets, plan your transit early and bring a layer for the walk. If you'd rather keep it smaller, Greg Fitzsimmons is at Rivoli, Tyler Braden with Steven Lee Olsen is at The Opera House, and Tommy Lefroy is at Sneaky Dee's, all also starting at 7:00 PM. Everything tonight is indoors, which is a relief given the temperature. Earlier in the day, Casa Loma has General Admission starting at 9:30 AM if you're up for a morning outing.
Stay warm out there, and take care on those frosty steps.
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