Not only is today the first day of winter, it is also the busiest travel day of the year and the busiest day for Christmas shopping.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority estimates 2.8 million passengers will pass through Toronto Pearson International Airport this holiday season.
The peak volume will be today when over 135,000 passengers will arrive or depart from Toronto Pearson.
Airport officials are reminding passengers to leave holiday gifts unwrapped in carry-on luggage, as packages will be subject to inspection at security checkpoints.
Meantime, the volume of retail business activity on Friday is expected to be bigger than Black Friday.
Debit and credit processor Moneris, which handles about one-third of all electronic transactions in Canada, says its data has even revealed which hour of the day today will be the busiest — 2 p.m.
The winter solstice also begins at 5:23 p.m on Friday.