Going to a Pope event in the Edmonton area? Here's what you need to know
Ahead of Pope Francis' visit to Edmonton, Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne later this month, event organizers held a press conference on Thursday to share details about the logistics of the trip.
Here's what attendees, and residents of the Edmonton area, need to know ahead of the Papal Visit.
ROAD CLOSURES
Rolling road closures — meaning that a road is closed before and after the Pope's motorcade passes by — are expected in certain areas between July 24 and 27.
The QEII will have road closures and limited access when the Pope travels from the Edmonton International Airport to his destination in the city on Sunday, July 24.
A day later, when the Pope travels to Maskwacis, there will be restricted access to the QEII and Highways 611 and 2A near Ponoka, Maskwacis and Wetaskiwin.
On Tuesday, July 26, the Pope is scheduled to visit Lac Ste. Anne and there will be closures and limited access along Highways 16, 43 and 633.
The QEII will once again have closures and limited access when the Pope leaves Edmonton on Wednesday, July 27.
PARK-AND-RIDE
More than 120,000 people are expected to attend the Papal events: 80,000 at Commonwealth Stadium, 25,000 in Lac Ste. Anne, 15,000 in Maskwacis, and 775 at Sacred Heart Church.
People who register to attend Papal events are strongly encouraged to get there early.
The main way to reach the sites in Edmonton, Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne is through park-and-ride.
For the Papal Mass at Commonwealth Stadium on July 26, there will be a number of park-and-ride locations across the city.
They will open at 7 a.m. and people with a ticket to the mass can ride for free until 2:30 p.m.
"Organizers for the Papal Mass have indicated that the event will start promptly at 10 a.m. and are asking that everyone plan to arrive early. And for those who are seated on the floor to arrive by 8:30 a.m," said Nicole Poirier with the City of Edmonton.
Poirier added road closures and increased traffic could cause ETS delays for buses the morning of the mass, "and therefore we are asking everyone to plan extra time for your regular commutes."
The Maskwacis and Lac Ste. Anne events will also have park-and-ride services in the area.
To get to Maskwacis, there will be buses from Heritage Valley in Edmonton, the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin, and the Stampede Grounds in Ponoka.
And for Lac Ste. Anne, people can park and take the bus from Langford Park, Villeneuve Airport and Mayerthorpe Airport.
OTHER NOTES
People who attend Commonwealth Stadium need to have a ticket. Resold tickets purchased online will not be valid, organizers said.
All the events will be broadcast live and organizers are working to have them in many languages.
Organizers stressed the need to plan ahead, arrive early, use park-and-ride, and register for the events.
For more information, visit the papalvisit.ca, alberta.ca and edmonton.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE UPDATES Luigi Mangione, 26, arrested in connection with CEO shooting
Luigi Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Penn., after he was spotted at a McDonald’s, authorities say. The suspect was born and raised in Maryland and graduated from Ivy League University of Pennsylvania.
Canada Post warns no end in sight for strike after receiving latest union proposals
As the Canada Post strike involving more than 55,000 workers neared the end of its 25th day, the postal service warned that a speedy resolution is unlikely.
Liberal government survives third Conservative non-confidence vote
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's latest attempt to topple the minority Liberal government in a non-confidence vote failed on Monday, thanks to the New Democrats.
Trudeau says dealing with Trump will be 'a little more challenging' than last time
Justin Trudeau says dealing with incoming president Donald Trump and his thundering on trade will be 'a little more challenging' than the last time he was in the White House.
Montreal man retiring early after winning half of the $80 million Lotto-Max jackpot
Factor worker Jean Lamontagne, 63, will retire earlier than planned after he won $40 million on Dec. 3 in the Lotto-Max draw.
Rupert Murdoch fails in bid to change family trust, New York Times reports
A Nevada commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch's bid to change his family trust to consolidate control of his media empire in the hands of his son Lachlan, the New York Times reported on Monday.
Katie Holmes refutes story about daughter Suri Cruise’s fortune
Katie Holmes has posted a screen grab of a Daily Mail article, which reported that her 18-year old daughter, whose father is Tom Cruise, is now a "millionaire."
Family spokesman says slain Edmonton security guard had only been working 3 days
A spokesman for the family of a security guard who police say was murdered while patrolling an Edmonton apartment building last week says the man had only been on the job for three days.
Sask. hockey player recovering after near fatal skate accident during game
The Sask East Hockey League (SEHL) has released details of a near fatal accident at one of its games over the weekend – which saw a Churchbridge Imperials player suffer serious injuries after being struck with a skate.