Victoria, BC – Enhancements to this year’s Pride Parade route and road closures will have an impact of traffic in Victoria and Esquimalt Sunday morning.
With the road closures, VicPD officers are suggesting that those who wish to join the celebrations arrive well in advance of the 11:00 a.m. Parade start time. Others travelling Sunday morning should consider a route that is well outside of the downtown area. Travel into downtown from the west is likely best via the Tillicum Road bridge.
Parade Route
The Pride Parade will begin at Government Street and Pandora Avenue, with staging for the parade extending north to Government and Princess streets. Participants will proceed southbound on Government to Belleville Street where they will turn westbound. At Oswego Street, the Parade will turn southbound until a westbound turn at Simcoe Street. The Parade comes to a close at MacDonald Park.
Road Closures
Please note that from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. (approx.), no traffic will be permitted south on Wharf Street from the Johnson Street Bridge – except localized traffic destined for businesses along Wharf Street.
Marshalling begins at 7:00 a.m. (marshalling area road closures on Government Street between Princess Street and Pandora Avenue) with full parade road closures starting just before 11:00 a.m.
Note: The detour route to Chatham Street– police will be allowing traffic to cross the route at Chatham Street intermittently.
With the Bay Street Bridge only open to westbound traffic there are several detours to also be aware of.
Traffic coming over the Johnson Street bridge will be directed north onto Store Street and then eastbound onto Chatham Street. This means that traffic will be halted by the Pride Parade marshalling area until the last participants have departed, approximately 1:30 p.m. Traffic destined for Vic West and/or Esquimalt will be directed north to the Bay Street Bridge.
For more information on road closures or the 2019 Pride Parade, please visit https://victoriapridesociety.org/.