Be Part of the Big Farewell to the Athletes of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games

Road closures in place in downtown Toronto for Closing Ceremony on Sunday, July 26

TORONTO, July 24, 2015 /CNW/ - On Sunday, July 26, Canada will give a rousing send-off to the athletes at the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Closing Ceremony, and everyone is invited to come into downtown Toronto to be a part of the celebration!

The fun — and free — activities kick off at 2 p.m. at Nathan Phillips Square with PANAMANIA Live, presented by CIBC. Get ready to dance on the square with artists such as Ontario Steel Pan, Calypso Rose with Kobo Town and the final act of the night, Brazilian legend Sérgio Mendes.

Meanwhile, starting at 5 p.m., the doors will open at the Pan Am Ceremonies Venue (PAD), located at 1 Blue Jays Way, for spectators with tickets to the Pan Am Closing Ceremony. The first 10,000 spectators to arrive will receive a complimentary commemorative Closing Ceremony program!

This one-time-only show will feature international performers Kanye West and Pitbull, as well as Canadian artist Serena Ryder. Tickets, starting at $90, are still available at TORONTO2015.org/tickets and at the TORONTO 2015 ticket booth at Nathan Phillips Square.

And to play a special role in this one-night-only show, be sure to download the free TORONTO 2015 Official Pan Am/Parapan Am Games App, presented by CIBC, from the App Store and Google Play. Spectators are asked to complete this download before arriving at the venue.

For those without tickets who still want to watch the Closing Ceremony as the sun sets on the city and the Pan Am Games, head down to CBC headquarters at 250 Front Street West where it will be shown on the big screen in the atrium. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The night will end with the ceremonial extinguishing of the flame at the Pan Am cauldron, followed by a dazzling fireworks display at Nathan Phillips Square, as well as a repeat of the CN Tower fireworks display — so get your cameras ready!

To help support the festivities, a number of temporary traffic measures will go into effect in downtown Toronto on Sunday, July 26 to ensure athletes, coaches, media and officials arrive on time at the Pan Am Ceremonies Venue.

Drivers and residents in the downtown core near the venue and the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes' Village are advised to plan ahead, prepare for additional travel time and consider changing their travel routine by cycling, walking, taking transit, carpooling or retiming travel, where possible.

The temporary traffic changes on Sunday, July 26 are:

• Bremner Boulevard from Navy Wharf Court to Simcoe Street will be closed from 3 p.m. to midnight. Bremner Boulevard from Navy Wharf Court and Van de Water Crescent will remain open to local vehicle traffic.
• The eastbound lanes of Front Street, from John Street to Simcoe Street, will be closed from 1 p.m. on July 26 to 1 a.m. on July 27. The two westbound lanes will remain open and will be converted to temporarily accommodate two-way traffic direction.
• There will be temporary closures along Front Street East between Trinity Street and Church Street in both directions between 6 p.m. and midnight. Parking will also be restricted between 3 p.m. to midnight.
• Residents living in the area of the CIBC Pan Am/Parapan Am Athletes' Village may experience intermittent traffic delays between 6 p.m. and midnight.
• Wellington Street, from Church Street to John Street, will be closed from 5:45 p.m. to midnight.
• Rees Street will be closed in both directions from 3 p.m. to midnight.
• All parking and stopping will be restricted on the south curb lane of Front Street from just west of John Street to east of Bathurst Street from 11 a.m. until midnight.
• The sidewalk on the south side of Front Street from Simcoe Street to John Street will be closed from 1 p.m. to midnight.
• The John Street Bridge will be closed from noon until midnight.
• Rogers Centre stairs (east of Gate 2) will be barricaded at the top and bottom from 3 p.m. to midnight.
• The Rogers Centre underground parking (south side of Bremner Boulevard) will be closed to the public on July 26.

In light of these traffic changes, the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015), the City of Toronto and Toronto Police Service are reminding the general public to take extra care in their travels, no matter what mode of transport they choose.

Drivers and cyclists are reminded to slow down, be prepared for new traffic measures and drive with caution given the changes to the road network and the increase in pedestrian traffic in the downtown core.

Spectators going to the Closing Ceremony are reminded that there will be no parking at the Pan Am Ceremonies Venue. Free public transit is included with your event ticket. A limited number of accessible parking spots will be available near the venue. Pre-book your accessible parking today by calling 1.844.695.4313 or booking online at TORONTO2015.org/spectator/accessible-parking.

For information on temporary traffic changes during the Games, visit Ontario.ca/games2015 and TORONTO2015.org.

To help plan your travel on regional transit during the Games, use Triplinx.ca. Drivers can also use the handy 2015 Games Trip Planner at 2015gamestripplanner.ca for auto trips or download the app for free.

About TO2015
The TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10–26 and the Parapan American Games August 7–15. The TORONTO 2015 Games are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, as well as Lead Partner CIBC and other partners and sponsors.

The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) is tasked with managing and delivering the Games. It is working to bring some of the world's best athletes and artists to Toronto and the Greater Golden Horseshoe region, giving Ontarians a unique chance to be part of the action, and making the region a hub for sport.

For more information about the Games, please visit TORONTO2015.org or follow @TO2015, @TO2015_fr (French) or @TO2015_es (Spanish).

About City of Toronto
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.

SOURCE Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games

For further information: TO2015 Media Request Line: 416.957.3409, media@toronto2015.org; City of Toronto, Strategic Communications, 416.392.6967, media@toronto.ca; Const. Craig Brister, Toronto Police Service, Community & Business Liaison, 416.305.4621, Craig.Brister@torontopolice.on.ca