Joanna Lavoie – Inside Toronto

Torontonians can expect significant traffic jam ups and a heavy police presence in the city’s downtown core in the days prior to, during, and after the upcoming G20 Summit.

Friday morning, May 28 Toronto Police Service (TPS) – a member of the conference’s Integrated Security Unit (ISU) – unveiled traffic and perimeter plans for the June 26/27 conference.

The ISU, which is also comprised of members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Peel Regional Police, and the Canadian Armed Forces, aims to ensure the safety and security of everyone involved with and impacted by the G20 and G8 summits in Toronto and Huntsville.

The security challenges are especially unique as both summits are being held the same week.

Starting June 7, the ISU will begin erecting an eight- to 10-foot chain link fence that will surround the designated “yellow zone,” bounded by Bay and York streets to the east, Wellington Street West to the north, Windsor Street, Blue Jays Way and Rees Street to the west and Lake Shore and Bremner boulevards to the south. Photo identification will be mandatory for anyone entering this zone from late Friday, June 25 until Sunday, June 27.

A highly secure RCMP zone will also surround the immediate area near the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

An estimated 40,000 people currently work and/or live in this affected area.

Toronto Police will also set up a “traffic zone” bounded by King Street West to the north, Yonge Street to the east, Lake Ontario to the south, and Spadina Avenue to the west. This secondary zone aims to maintain traffic flow in the area and direct vehicles from the designated security zones.

Some of the other security measures during the G20 may include some TTC route diversions and/or delays on an as-needed basis. Union Station will be open that weekend. Exits to front Street will, however, be prohibited. Vehicular traffic on Front Street near the station will also be restricted.

The underground PATH system will be closed from the evening of June 25 until Monday, June 28.

No parking and no standing bylaws will also be strictly enforced, particularly for the area bounded by Queen Street West to Yonge Street, Lake Shore Boulevard West to Spadina Avenue.

GO Transit and VIA Rail trains will be operating on their regular weekend schedules. The Toronto Islands ferry service will also be running that weekend on its usual schedule.

For safety reasons, homeless people within the yellow zone will be relocated to what the city hopes will become more permanent homes.

Toronto Police may also make use of tear gas and sound cannons for crowd control, if needed. The TPS has also installed 77 additional closed-circuit television cameras for monitoring the G20 Summit.

Supt. Tom Russell, commander of the TPS’ G8-G20 Planning Team, said people shouldn’t necessarily avoid the downtown core during the summit but said it’s a “personal choice” they’ll have to make based on how they anticipate the summit may or may not affect their lives.

“It’s not about shutting the city down… Criminal acts, criminal behaviour (are) a concern to us,” he said, underlining police want to strike a balance between regular life in Toronto and the security needed to host the major international event.

Mayor David Miller, on the other hand, said Torontonians who don’t need to be in the vicinity of the summit should “enjoy another part of our city” that weekend.

Taking a few moments from the Federation for Canadian Municipalities Conference to address the media about the G20 security plans, Miller said the City of Toronto would roll out a comprehensive information campaign to help residents and business owners better understand the conference’s impact. Miller also indicated information is available in the latest edition of the city’s Our Toronto newsletter.

“This is a massive event. It’s probably the largest event of its kind in the world,” he said, noting Toronto has many amazing stories to share with the world.

“I think hosting the G20 is a unique opportunity.”

Pointing to a recent spate of anti-G20 vandalism at several Chinatown-area banks, Miller said protesters are welcome but not those who wreck our city.

“We don’t welcome people who do damage in the city. We do welcome people who do peaceful protests,” he said, adding the city actually preferred the G20 Summit take place on the grounds of Exhibition Place. “I hope it’s not a forerunner of what might happen.”

Queen’s Park has been identified as the official G20 protest area.

The summit is set to especially impact the lives of those living and working in Councillor Adam Vaughan’s Trinity-Spadina ward.

“People in my ward, in particular, I think are going to have a difficult time getting in and out of their condos. I want everyone to realize there’s a local economy, a local culture that doesn’t deserve to be trampled here,” the Ward 20 representative told members of the media following Toronto Police’s security plan press conference.

Vaughan was notably concerned about compensation from the federal government for local residents and merchants whose homes and businesses are damaged as a result of the summit.

“I’m at a loss of words to describe my frustrations,” he said, calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to explain the G8 and G20 $1-billion security price tag paid by taxpayers’ dollars.

“We’re trying to get an answer from the Prime Minister. We’re going to continually raise this issue.”

Miller said business owners, like hot dog vendors, facing loss of revenue as a result of the summit can make a claim with the federal government for compensation.

He also said if the government can find $1 billion for G8-G20 security, it should also be able to come up with funds for important infrastructure projects, like the stalled Finch Avenue light rail transit line.

Security plans for the G8-G20 summits are in an ongoing state of flux and are modified on a daily basis.

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Contact the Jeffrey Team for more information  -  416-388-1960

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