The City of Burlington closed several streets today, Thursday, August 31 to accommodate the funeral procession of Burlington Firefighter Wayne Tapping. Firefighter Tapping passed away several days ago during an international fire extrication event in Indianapolis.

A public funeral procession with uniformed firefighting personnel from a number of fire services took place today. The procession began at Smith Funeral Home, 485 Brant Street at 12:15 p.m. and proceeded southward along Brant Street, eastward along James and New Streets and northward along Drury Lane to the Burlington Central Arena.

Burlington Transit diverted service on a number of routes during the procession.

From 11:54 a.m. until 2 p.m., southbound buses on the 2 Brant route operated along their regular route to Burlington GO Station, then proceeded westward along Fairview Street, southward along Maple Avenue, eastward along Lakeshore Road and northward along Elizabeth Street to the bus parking turnaround area. From noon until 2 p.m., northbound buses operated from the bus parking turnaround area southward along Elizabeth, westward along Lakeshore, northward along Maple and westward along Fairview to the Burlington, where they resumed their regular route. Buses on the 2 Brant route did not enter the Mapleview Centre during the detour.

From 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., eastbound buses on the 4 Pinedale route operated from the Burlington Transit Terminal through the bus parking turnaround area, southward along Elizabeth Street, eastward along Lakeshore Road, northward along Guelph Line, resuming their regular route at Guelph and Prospect Street. From 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., westbound buses operated on their regular route to Prospect and Guelph, then diverted southward along Guelph, westward along Lakeshore, northward along Elizabeth and through the bus turnaround parking area.

From 12:15 until 2 p.m., eastbound buses on the 5 Francis route operated along their regular route to North Shore Boulevard and Maple Avenue then continued eastward along Lakeshore Road, northward along John Street to the Downtown Burlington Bus Terminal. From noon until 2 p.m., westbound buses operated from the terminal southward along John Street and westward along Lakeshore Road, resuming their regular route at Lakeshore and Maple.

From 11:45 a.m. until 2 p.m., eastbound buses on the 10 New-Maple route operated from the Downtown Burlington bus terminal through the bus parking turnaround area, southward along Elizabeth Street, eastward along Lakeshore Road and northward along Guelph Line, resuming their regular route at Guelph and New Street. From 11:15 a.m. until 2 p.m., westbound buses operated along their regular route to New and Guelph then detoured southward along Guelph and northward along Elizabeth, through the bus turnaround area to the terminal.