Media Advisory - From A Pop-Up Park to a Charity Truck-Pull, the 2019 Edition of Open Streets TO Presented by CentreCourt Has Something for Everyone

Witness a time lapse video of the creation and activation of a park in one minute here

TORONTO, Aug. 17, 2019 /CNW/ - Once again this Sunday, people traffic will replace car traffic as the streets become "paved parks" where people of all ages, abilities, and social, economic and ethnic backgrounds can get active and connect with their community and each other. Open Streets Presented By CentreCourt, the country's largest free recreation program, is back and Torontonians are invited to come together with their friends, neighbours and community leaders for a wide range of exciting and interactive hubs and activities, all while celebrating healthy lifestyles and underpinning the importance of inclusion.

Inspired by a world-class program that improves healthy behaviour, the first Open Streets in 2019 takes place this Sunday, August 18, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. This program repurposes existing public assets – namely our iconic streets – and provides access to free recreation space (on portions of Bloor and Yonge), focusing attention on the importance of physical activity.

Since 2014, more than 400,000 Torontonians have attended Open Streets.

Be sure to visit Open Streets Park, replete with 5,000 square feet of grass, on Bloor, just east of Yonge. This Pop-Up Park comes together through a partnership between Open Streets, the City of Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division and Come Alive Outside and demonstrates how Parkland can activate spaces, bring Torontonians together and provide green space. The activities, programming and engagement will facilitate important discussions around the challenges and opportunities the City of Toronto faces in growing and enhancing Toronto's Parkland.

Open Streets is presented by CentreCourt. CentreCourt is a real estate company focused on the development of high-rise residential communities and has over 5,000 homes in various stages of development across the GTA. CentreCourt takes great pride in the positive impact its developments have on their homeowners and their communities.

The full Open Streets TO route runs along Bloor Street (East / West from Park Road – just west of Church Street – to Ossington Avenue); Yonge Street (North / South from Bloor Street to Queen Street). The program begins at 10:00 am and ends at 2:00 pm.

Media Availability

When:	SUNDAY, August 18
	11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – B-Roll opportunities
	11:45 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Spokespeople available for interview
Where:	Intersection of Yonge and Bloor
Who:	David Simor, Board Member, Open Streets Toronto
	Kristyn Wong-Tam, Councillor, Ward 13
	Mitch Gascoyne, CentreCourt

Photo and Interview Opportunities Available

Additional activities will include, among others:

• Bloor and Yonge: Open Streets Park (5,000 square feet of grass), lululemon mass participation yoga class (11:00 am to 11:45 am) and Official Bike Ride of Open Streets TO (12:00 pm to 12:30 pm)
• Bloor and Bay: Live Green Toronto "Family Fun Zone" featuring green fun (e.g., making pollinator puppets, decorating reusable lunch bags and spinning the "Pollinator Wheel of Fun")
• Bloor and Avenue: Massive, interactive mobile skateboard and scooter park, providing event-goers with all equipment and safety gear they require to test their abilities
• Yonge and Elm: Charity Truck-Pull, hosted by Salad King, in support of Second Harvest

A full list of activity hub locations along the route can be seen here.

SOURCE Open Streets TO

Media Contact: Jamie Deans, [email protected], 647-284-7710