Jesus in the City parade back on

TORONTO - Praise Jesus, it looks like the parade is back on.

Sources tell the Toronto Sun that an arrangement has been worked out between organizers of the cancelled Jesus in the City parade and City of Toronto staff.

“We are optimistic the parade is going to happen Sept. 6 as originally scheduled,” Dr. Charles McVety, of Canada Christian College, said Thursday.

Citing road construction around Queen’s Park as the problem, city staff had decided to pull the permit for the parade, which was expecting 10,000 revellers.

“In view of the circumstances, the Street Events section of Transportation Services cannot approve your request to assemble the parade floats and have parade participants form up along Queen’s Park,” the city’s Rita Hoy wrote Friday to parade organizers.

The group tried to persuade the city to offer another route but, up until Thursday, they were told this was not possible.

Enter Mayor Rob Ford, who told the Sun he wanted the parade back on and called a meeting of all involved.

“He was animated” and vocal, McVety said of the mayor. “He made it clear to city staff he wanted to find a solution.”

Before noon Thursday, that solution was worked out.

“There are still some i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed but the parade is back on with an alternative route,” McVety said.

The route will now begin on Rosedale Valley Rd., make its way to Church St. and over to Bay St., then wind up at Queen’s Park.

“We are fine with that,” McVety said. “We have so many people coming in from out of town and others who have built floats that we are grateful this has been resolved.”
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