A two-time Canadian Paralympic swimmer was arrested while participating in an ongoing protest by cycling advocates opposing the removal of bike lanes on Bloor Street West in Etobicoke on Thursday.
Aly Van Wyck-Smart, 24, from Toronto was arrested for mischief and obstruct police after they repeatedly defied police orders to stop impeding workers as they dismantled cycling infrastructure between Islington Avenue and Royal York Road.
Protesters rallied for a third day in a row to prevent or slow down the work of removing bike lanes in accordance with the Ford government’s mandate.
Van Wyck-Smart – who was born with cerebral palsy – joined the demonstration, protesting in their wheelchair with a sign saying “this is why we can’t get decent healthcare.”
They told CityNews they feel the removal of bike lanes is both dangerous and a waste of money.
“I can’t get medication covered but the Ontario government can spend upwards of $45 million to do something that is dangerous and unnecessary… this is a waste of money and people will die,” they said.
A police officer on scene was heard speaking to protesters, warning that if they impede or prevent the work from continuing, they will be arrested for mischief. Van Wyck-Smart said they are fully aware of the risks.
“I do not care – I just know how bad it will look for them if I get arrested,” they said.
Around 10 a.m., as protesters refused to move off the platform being worked on, crews were only able to dismantle a portion of it and moved on to another section of bike lanes, leaving the area temporarily cordoned off with pylons.
As the day wore on, work crews made slow but steady progress moving westward on Bloor, removing concrete bike lane curb barriers with a forklift, with protesters moving further down with each slab removed, positioning themselves at the next one.
Some demonstrators said the goal of their collective resistance was to hinder the progress of the work as much as possible, even if they were unable to stop the work entirely.
One protester explicitly said they were there to show their opposition and “make it a little less comfortable for them to rip out the bike lanes,” while another said people don’t quite understand that without bike lanes, cyclists have to risk their lives riding in traffic with other vehicles.
“It’s ridiculous… I’m 61, I don’t want to be in a roadway with cars behind me. I want a safe bike lane,” she said.
At approximately 3 p.m. work crews had made their way up to just west of Royal York Road and were met with Van Wyck-Smart who had positioned their wheelchair directly on top of a curb barrier.
A police officer was seen speaking to them and heard saying that he was giving them a “lawful direction” and “fair opportunity” to move out of the way. Van Wyck-Smart refused to move, backed by chants of “cops go home” from fellow protesters.
After some discussion among police officers and the workers, they moved around Van Wyck-Smart and continued removing barriers further west down the line, prompting cheers from protesters.
Shortly thereafter, Van Wyck-Smart was arrested by police at around 3:15 p.m. – the third person arrested since the protests began on Tuesday.
In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the government’s position on bike lanes has not changed.
“Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision was clear, ‘it is illegitimate for courts to involve themselves in matters of legislative policy.’ Following their decision, we announced we would restore vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West immediately,” they said.
“The people of Ontario gave our government a clear mandate to tackle the traffic that is costing our economy over $56 billion a year by removing the bike lanes on some of Toronto’s busiest streets.”
The rallies against the removal of bike lanes began Tuesday night when hundreds of protesters gathered in the area of Bloor Street West and Islington Avenue and managed to turn back work trucks that arrived to begin removing the cycling infrastructure as per the Ford government’s mandate.
At the time Sarkaria said on X that the work was only “halted by protesters,” vowing that it will go ahead.
“Make no mistake: these bike lanes are coming out. We have a clear mandate and we will deliver,” he said.
After celebrating a short-lived victory overnight, protesters returned Wednesday morning as crews had begun preparing to dismantle the bike lanes around 11 a.m.
A stand off ensued when a lone cyclist stepped in front of a work truck to block it and was soon joined by several others.
A large police presence was on scene to ensure the work continued unobstructed, with police chief Myron Demkiw saying earlier in the day that there was no injunction against it and it was “lawful work,” which, if impeded, could lead to arrests.
Officers were heard instructing the protesters to step aside and continue their demonstration on the sidewalk and while some complied, others staged a sit-in. Police officers soon moved in and corralled the protesters onto the sidewalk, standing in a blockade in front of them to allow crews to continue the work or removing the bike lanes.
As the reflective strips and concrete barriers separating the bike lanes from the main road began being torn down, protesters continued to make a stand throughout the afternoon and into the evening, chanting “save our bike lanes” and “bike lanes save lives.”
Police arrested two people during the protest on Wednesday – one during the afternoon hours and another towards the evening, when construction work had halted for the day.
The first person to be arrested was a lone protester sitting on a curb barrier in a bike lane far away from the crowd that had been moved over to the sidewalk. She was instructed by police to move so that the work of removing the barriers could continue, but she did not comply. She was subsequently handcuffed and placed in a court services vehicle around 1 p.m.
Nina Thi Thi Tran, 25, from Hamilton was charged with obstruct peace officer and mischief – interfere with property – under $5,000. She is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 8, 2027.
In the evening, shortly before 8 p.m., a second protester was arrested near Lothian Avenue and Bloor Street West. Police say they are accused of allegedly removing municipal signage and trying to leave the area.
Khoa Thanh Phan, 20, from Toronto, has been charged with mischief – interfere with lawful use of property and theft under $5,000. They are scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 7, 2027.
More to come
Aly Van Wyck-Smart (centre, seated) along with other cyclists, protests the removal of bike lanes in Etobicoke on Oct. 15, 2026. CITYNEWS
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