Several roads in downtown Winnipeg will be closed this weekend to accommodate two major events. The annual Santa Claus parade will prompt the closure of Portage Avenue in both directions from St. Mary Avenue to Main Street starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Access to Portage will be restricted for cross streets within the vicinity. Additional closures include Southbound Main Street between McDermot Avenue and York Avenue, Portage Avenue E. from Westbrook Street to Main Street, Westbound St. Mary Avenue from Edmonton Street to Memorial Blvd, Eastbound York Avenue from Colony Street to Memorial, and Osborne Street N./Memorial/Colony from Broadway to Ellice Avenue. All closures will be lifted by 10 p.m., with a brief closure of Northbound Main Street from William Stephenson Way to Portage in the late afternoon to allow the parade to cross Main Street.
Limited parking lot access and no through traffic will be enforced at the following streets: Fort Street from Graham Avenue to Portage, Garry, Donald, and Carlton streets from Ellice to Portage, Smith, Hargrave, and Edmonton streets from St. Mary Avenue to Portage, and Kennedy and Vaughan streets from Portage to Graham. The parade will commence at 5 p.m., with block parties starting at 4 p.m.
Simultaneously, closures are already in effect for the Grey Cup Festival, which began on Monday in anticipation of Sunday’s main event at Princess Auto Stadium. Eastbound York Avenue is closed between Edmonton and Carlton streets until 9 a.m. Sunday, Young Street is closed from Portage to Ellice until 9 a.m. Sunday, and Spence Street is closed from Portage to Ellice until 8 a.m. Monday.
For more details on road closures, visit the city’s website.