There’s no shortage of Torontonians taking the day off work today.
The Toronto Raptors championship parade, which will be followed by a rally, gets underway at 10 a.m. EST and fans have been lining up for hours.
Some have even camped out all weekend to get a front row view for the parade or a good spot at Nathan Phillips Square, where the rally will be held.
The Raptors parade isn't expected to arrive at Nathan Philips Square for another four hours
— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) June 17, 2019
Crowd so far 👇
(via @Momin680NEWS)pic.twitter.com/GUD0nzcgw8
A car carrying head coach Nick Nurse was mobbed by fans this morning, while veteran Kyle Lowry expressed his excitement over Twitter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be in Toronto for the event, while Premier Doug Ford says he plans to watch the parade with the masses.
He won’t be speaking or making any official appearance, however, as he says the day is about the fans and players, not politicians.
During the parade, the Raptors will be in open-air double-decker buses showing off the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy as they travel the parade route.
The post-parade rally in Nathan Phillips Square will be an hour long and feature a fly-by from the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Snowbirds demonstration team.
For those outside of Toronto, the parade will be broadcast on Sportsnet and Citytv.
