Toronto streets ready to host NBA Finals! #WeTheNorth

The City of Toronto is working with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), Toronto Police Service (TPS), Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and other partners to coordinate crowd management plans for the 2019 NBA Finals series.

Permitted closures that will be in effect on Thursday, May 30 include:
• Maple Leaf Square (Bremner Boulevard from Lake Shore Boulevard West to York Street) from 7 a.m. to midnight
• York Street (between Lake Shore Boulevard West and Front Street) and Bremner Boulevard (between Lower Simcoe Street to York Street) from 1 p.m. to midnight

There are no scheduled TTC closures during Thursday and Sunday’s game to encourage spectators to plan ahead and ride the TTC or GO Transit. The Don Valley Parkway has no planned closures and will also be open to drivers who are heading downtown.

The TPS will be present to support MLSE for public safety purposes. MLSE will place large viewing screens throughout the closure area and will increase their security presence.

The Toronto Raptors will host the Golden State Warriors in game one of the seven-game series this Thursday at 9 p.m. at Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto. Game two is scheduled for Sunday, June 2 in Toronto.

“Hosting the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history is exciting for our city. We are proactively making plans to ensure the safety of Toronto residents and visitors who plan on heading downtown to cheer on our Raptors.”
– Mayor John Tory

A bandwagon fan’s guide to the Toronto Raptors

If you count yourself among the bandwagoners, the CBC’s handy guide should get you get up to speed just in time for the NBA Finals 😉

Pretty much all of America is rooting for the Canadian team

Pretty much all of America is rooting for a Canadian team to beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals http://dlvr.it/R5blc8 BetOnline (h/t Eric Ting of SFGate.com) produced the map below, which shows 47 of 50 states are in favour of Toronto. Thanks guys, we’ll be feeling your vibes on Thursday!