A Highway 401 off-ramp west of Toronto that became so congested with Boxing Day bargain hunters on Thursday that police had to close it for safety reasons has reopened.
Today, Ontario Provincial Police announced they were closing the westbound Highway 401 off-ramp to Trafalgar Road in Halton Hills “for everyone’s safety.” The exit ramp would be closed until further notice, they said in a post on X.
It reopened shortly after 8 pm.
OPP said earlier in the day that Boxing Day shoppers headed to the Toronto Premium Outlets were facing a traffic jam as they tried to get off the busy highway.
“Please consider using alternative routes such as #highway401 The westbound exit onto Trafalgar Rd is experiencing significant congestion due to Boxing Day traffic,” the service said in a tweet at around 8.30am.
Police had advised people wanting to leave the area to use Winston Churchill Boulevard or James Snow Parkway as alternatives.
Dozens of bargain hunters flocked to GTA stores Thursday in search of Boxing Day deals, along with the tax break, giving Canadians more discounts.
Best Buy Canada opened its doors early this morning in anticipation of bargain shoppers looking for discounts.
“Boxing Day continues to be one of the biggest shopping days of the year for Best Buy Canada,” the company said in a statement.
While the electronics retailer launched online deals on Dec. 24, shoppers were still lining up outside stores in the GTA hours before they opened at 8 a.m.
One shopper waiting in line told CP24 he’s eager to see what’s on offer.
“Every year there is a rush, so I would say (I came) for the agreements,” said the man, who identified himself as Renny.
While she knows she can shop from home, she said she still prefers to browse and see the items in person.
“When you come here to the store you can physically see what the product is,” he said.
Jeffrey, another electronics buyer waiting in line, told CP24 that he was thinking about buying a drone last night and decided he didn’t want to wait to get his hands on it.
“Frankly, I just wanted to go to the store so I could get it as soon as possible,” he said.
Long queues were also reported at stores around shopping centers across the GTA.
While many retailers began rolling out deals around Black Friday, the tax break implemented by the federal government for certain items from December 14 to February 15 remains in effect, offering shoppers an additional incentive for items they didn’t pick up before Christmas.
It applies to items such as video game consoles and controllers, as well as physical books, restaurant meals, and some children’s toys.
Many retailers have said they have seen an increase in sales since the tax holiday began.