This weekend’s major festival plans to celebrate Toronto’s 191st birthday has unfortunately just been postponed until next month.
Yesterday, Celebrate Toronto shared on their website and social media pages that “due to ongoing City of Toronto & CUPE Local 79 negotiations, a potential strike/lockout could impact essential event services on March 8, 2025”.
Back in January, CUPE Local 79 members overwhelmingly voted to strike over wage concerns, with over 90% in favor.
Celebrate Toronto, the event’s organizers, warned that a strike would disrupt essential city services needed to run events safely.
With over 150 vendors, artists, and staff involved, organizers stressed the importance of advance planning to prevent cancellations or disruptions.
Because of the legal strike deadline coinciding on March 8 at 12:01 a.m., the organizers have decided to push the event back to Saturday, April 5 to “avoid last-minute disruptions and ensure a seamless experience for all”.
“This change allows us to provide certainty for our vendors, partners, and attendees while continuing to showcase Toronto’s incredible small businesses, artists, and entertainers,” reads the press release.
Despite the setback, Toronto’s birthday celebration will proceed with all the fun activities as originally planned, including live music, food stalls, outdoor skating, and a magical fireworks show at 9 p.m.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 5, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Nathan Phillips Square!