The information on this page was accurate (to the best of our knowledge) as of September 11, 2023.
Take Back the Night 2023 will be in Aurora Town Park, an open, grassy park with wide paths paved with small patio stones. We will be rallying at the bandshell (in the north-west corner) and marching on the sidewalks of Wells St., Wellington St. W., Yonge St., and Mosley. St. before returning to the bandshell.
Our committee is working hard to make this year’s TBTN as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility concerns or questions not addressed on this page, we would love to hear from you. You can send us an email or give us a call at (905) 895-3646.
Audio
Speakers and music will be amplified through loudspeakers at the bandshell or megaphones during the march. There will be an area reserved for accessible viewing in front of the stage, closer to the loudspeakers than other seating.
Marching
Our march is about 1km long and will start at the bandshell in Aurora Town Park (49 Wells St.) and head north on Wells St., turn left (west) onto Wellington St. W., turn left (south) onto Yonge St., turn left (east) onto Mosley St., and return to the bandshell.
Marchers using mobility aids or walking at a slower pace are encouraged to join near the front of the march to help us keep a slow, accessible pace!
Parking
There are public parking spots on the east, south, and west sides of the park, including eight accessible parking spaces:
- On the west side, there are 3 spots next to paths into the park (about 25-50m to the bandshell) and 2 others are further south (about 30m from path entrance), but not connected to the park entrance by pathway or sidewalk
- On the east side, there are 2 spots next to a park entrance (about 175m to the bandshell)
Most of the parking spots are near a park entrance with a pathway to the bandshell (in the north-west corner).
Pathways
The pathways through the park are wide and made of small patio stones. There is a larger paved area in front of the bandshell that is accessed from the pathway behind the bandshell structure (where there will be an area reserved for accessible viewing). There are paved paths connecting the bandshell, parking/sidewalk, and washrooms, though they are sometimes the longer route.
Seating & Viewing
The park has open-air bleachers available for seating near the bandshell and there’s a large grassy area where attendees can set out their own blankets or chairs. There’s a paved area in front of the bandshell, which will have an area blocked off for accessible viewing.
Washrooms
There are public washrooms in the park; a men’s and women’s are about 110m from the bandshell on the path or 60m over grass.
These washrooms have large accessible stalls, but do not have powered/automatic doors. The exterior washroom doors are metal, standard-width, and open to the outside with a flat threshold. Getting to and from the sink area may be difficult for wider mobility aids or aids with a larger turning radius.
There’s a low-height water filling station outside the washroom doors.
What to Expect
We will be meeting at the Aurora Town Park’s bandshell (open-air covered stage building). We will start by gathering in the park. During this time, music will be playing through loudspeakers and community resource booths will be set up on the grass where attendees can learn about local organizations and resources in the gender-based violence sector.
The rally will then start with a welcome from our emcees before we all head out to march (see route above or in the FAQs). We will march on sidewalks and as a group. Some attendees will have posters and signs (either made themselves, at our sign-making event, or from our collection). Volunteers and committee members will lead the crowd in protest chants with megaphones and/or by yelling.
After the march, we will take some time to settle back into the park at the bandshell. Then, we will continue the rally with survivor speakers, performers, and end with a candlelight vigil.
For more details on the agenda for Take Back the Night, see our frequently asked questions page.
