Paused transit and moments of silence: Here’s how Toronto is observing Queen Elizabeth’s funeral

Here’s how the city of Toronto -- and the TTC -- is observing the Queen’s funeral on Monday

Thestar.com
Sept. 15, 2022

From a moment of silence to pausing transit for over a minute and a half, the city of Toronto has shared its plans for commemorating Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday, Sept. 19.

The date has been declared a national day of mourning.

The Queen, 96, died on Sept. 8. Her coffin left Buckingham Palace for the last time on Wednesday, headed to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state.

Here’s how the city of Toronto -- and the TTC -- is observing the Queen’s funeral on Monday:

• Staff from the city of Toronto will observe 96 seconds of silence in the Peace Garden at City Hall, according to a Wednesday news release. The garden was “dedicated by The Queen in 1984” during a visit to Toronto.
• All TTC vehicles will pause for 96 seconds at 1 p.m. as part of a ‘stop and stay’ tribute. Subway trains will be held at their platforms, Wheel-Trans vehicles will stop briefly, and buses and streetcars will halt at regular stops “until the moment of silence” is finished.
• “All service will resume immediately following the 96-second pause,” the transit agency said.
• The co-ordinated moment of silence extends to the city’s ferries as well. They will pause for 96 seconds, sounding their horn at the beginning and end of the tribute.
• Beginning 1 p.m. Monday, residents of Toronto will hear the bell at Old City Hall tower chime 96 times -- once per minute.
• Flags at city parks and facilities will be at half-mast till Monday. The city added they will continue to be at half-mast until the funeral of recently killed Toronto police officer Const. Andrew Hong.
• The Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square has been dimmed since the Queen’s death last week, lighting up in royal blue every night along with the Princes’ Gate at Exhibition Place. This will continue till Monday evening.
• City councillors will consider a motion of condolence at its Sept. 28 meeting. The city said books of condolence are available until Monday at City Hall downtown as well as its civic centres, between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the weekend.

 

The city’s news release added there is no other impact to municipal services on Monday.

On Tuesday, the government of Canada declared Monday a federal holiday.

But Premier Doug Ford said the province of Ontario won’t be declaring a provincial holiday, and that people may observe a moment of silence at 1 p.m. instead.