TIFF and TTC offer up movie vouchers

Festival organizers make gesture to those affected by King St. road closures

The Toronto International Film Festival and the TTC will once again be handing out free movie vouchers on King St. as the festival causes road closures and streetcar diversions.

Ambassadors will hand out thousands of vouchers, for both festival films and year-round screenings at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, to passersby on King St. on the morning of Sept. 5, according to a press release.

The TTC will also host a free screening of a movie on Sept. 8, which will be announced on TIFF’s social media the night before. It will be first come, first served for those with a Presto card or TTC transfer.

King St. W. will be closed between Peter St. and University Ave. from Sept. 5 to 9. Service will also be intermittently affected on Sept. 9 and 10 due to red carpet events.

The 504 King streetcar, the city’s busiest surface route, will be diverting as a result of the closure.

Other affected TTC routes include the 504B King, 508 Lake Shore and 304 King (night). The King route sees an average of more than 80,000 boardings each day.

In the past, the TTC has pushed back against closures on King St., saying TIFF shouldn’t take precedence over the tens of thousands of people who rely on the King streetcar. However, the city makes the final decision, the former TTC CEO told the TTC board in 2017.

“The City of Toronto and the TTC are working with TIFF to ensure Festival Street is enjoyed with minimal inconvenience to those travelling in this area of the city,” the city said in a news release.

It added Toronto police will be at intersections to help with traffic flow and TTC ambassadors will be available to help customers.