The Toronto Raptors are NBA champions for the first time ever, which means it’s finally time to plan the parade.
In a Friday news release, the Raptors said the parade will begin Monday at 10 a.m. ET. at the Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto. It will continue eastward on Lakeshore Boulevard to York Street, where it will then turn left to head north on University before entering Nathan Phillips Square on Queen Street, which is where city hall and the Toronto sign are located.
The parade will lead the team to a celebration rally at the downtown destination from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The organization said there will be open-air double decker buses to transport members of the team. The world-famous Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy will be there for all the action.
“Fans are reminded to dress according to the weather and to wear their Raptors colours proudly,” the news release said.
As of Sunday evening, the Weather Network forecast for Toronto is predicting a mix of sun and clouds with a parade-friendly high of 21 C on Monday. It’s shaping up to be a relatively calm day with low winds and a 30 per cent chance of rain.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri said the team is “thrilled” to share this moment with fans not only in Toronto, but across the country.
“This means so much to our city and to many in Canada, and we are looking forward to showing everyone the Larry O’Brien trophy on Monday,” he said in a statement.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said the city is “so proud” of the Raptors and can’t wait to get together for a massive celebration next week.
“Everyone is working together to make sure the parade will be a great and memorable event,” Tory added in the release.
This will be the first time in 24 years that Toronto hosts a parade for one of its big North American sports teams. The last Canadian sports team to do this was the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.
CLARIFICATION: A previous version of this story had a less clear map of the parade route. That has now been updated.