Stretch of Church St. could be closed to vehicles this summer

Downtowners want Church St. closed to vehicle traffic for two months – but there’s less enthusiasm at City Hall

Published Apr 30, 2026  •  Last updated 22 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

A street festival takes over the road on Church St., south of Wellesley St. E, in August 2010. Toronto city council will consider a pilot project next month that would limit the street to pedestrians for two months. Photo by Toronto Sun files

Downtowners are eager to close Church St. to vehicle traffic for two months this summer – but there’s less enthusiasm at City Hall.

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The Toronto and East York community council unanimously endorsed a pilot project that would limit a stretch of Church St., just south of Wellesley St. E., to pedestrian traffic from June 19 to Aug. 21.

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City Council will decide on the matter in May.

The proposal was brought forward by Chris Moise, who represents the area as city councillor for Toronto Centre. While the pilot dates would overlap with the FIFA World Cup, in a letter to the community council, Moise said the soccer tournament will mostly take place during seasonal events that already keep cars off of Church St.

Jaret Sereda, executive director of the Church-Wellesley Village BIA, told the Toronto Sun that owners of the local shops and restaurants think “the whole dynamic of business” will change if Church St. is pedestrianized for the summer.

“We are really thrilled and really excited about it. It’s just going to bring a whole new look and excitement to the Village,” Sereda said.

“And remember, this has never been done before in the city of Toronto. Certainly we’ve closed down streets for events for a day or two, but nothing for like part of the summer.”

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That enthusiasm in the local business community was shared by those who spoke at Thursday afternoon’s community council meeting. A parade of Church St. locals and frequent visitors urged city councillors to approve the pilot project.

“I haven’t heard one negative person coming today (to) say they don’t want this,” Moise said shortly before community council’s vote.

Councillor Chris Moise installs a “walk your bike” decal on a sidewalk in his Toronto Centre ward. Photo by threads.com/chrismoiseto

‘Unresolved issues’

For all the positivity, concerns were brought up in a memo prepared for the community council by Nazzareno Capano, the city’s director of street permits. The memo accepted but did not endorse pedestrianizing Church, warning of “unresolved issues” such as congestion and a lack of resources on the part of police and the city’s transportation services division.

Moise said the city’s bureaucrats were being “hyper-cautious.”

“I think this is one of the circumstances where we need to push them a little bit,” he said.

Beyond the novelty of walking on the road, Sereda said the BIA expects pedestrianization will be good for business. While someone in a car might stop by a shop then drive off, customers on foot “tend to gather, they socialize. They linger longer,” he said.

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Pedestrianization is also a good fit for how people spend time on Church St. in the warmer months, Sereda said. For example, in June, some bars stay open until the wee hours and it’s already typical for the street to close for Pride Month events.

Under the proposal, Church St. would be closed to vehicles between Wellesley and Alexander Sts. – although intersections wouldn’t be affected, allowing traffic to go west and east along Maitland St.

“It’s not very long,” Sereda said. “It’s a pilot project, so in the future we’re hoping we can expand more.”

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But while the Church St. pilot involves just a small stretch of street, it’s part of a trend of road closures that are arguably making Toronto too hard to get around.

Giles Gherson, president of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, told the Sun in a statement that City Hall needs to strike the “right balance,” ensuring road closures are “carefully coordinated within the city’s broader transportation and congestion management plans.”

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“We recognize that seasonal pedestrianization initiatives can benefit local businesses and communities by increasing foot traffic. While individual closures may have limited impact, the cumulative effect of multiple, concurrent closures, especially during a busy summer with major events like FIFA, can contribute to increased congestion and associated costs, and frustration for businesses, commuters and residents,” Gherson said.

The Church-Wellesley Village BIA has a website with details on the pedestrianization pilot, as well as a petition, at experiencethevillage.ca.

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