 Emailed to:
Premier Doug Ford premier@ontario.ca MPP Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria (Brampton South) prabmeet.sarkaria@pc.ola.org Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction MPP Vic Fedeli (Nipissing) vic.fedelico@pc.ola.org Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Chair of CabinetMPP Lisa Thompson (Huron-Bruce) lisa.thompson@pc.ola.org Minister of Government and Consumer Services MPP Chris Glover (Spadina-Fort York) CGlover-CO@ndp.on.ca MPP Marit Stiles (Davenport) MStiles-QP@ndp.on.ca MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth) tabunsp-co@ndp.on.ca MPP Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale) jbell-CO@ndp.on.ca MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) CFife-QP@ndp.on.ca April 23, 2021 To our provincial leaders, Follow up Re: Urgent Ask for Additional Supports and Clarity for Main Street Businesses The Riverside District, Queen Street West, Bloorcourt, Leslieville and West Queen West BIAs are five of Toronto’s 80+ BIAs. We collectively represent approximately 1300 small and medium sized businesses and property owners. The views expressed in this letter come from our direct consultations with our members. We are following up on our letter from April 9th (copy attached) where we requested:
We have not had an official response from the Premier nor Ministers that this letter was originally addressed to. We want to reiterate the continued need for support and with special emphasis on:
Hospitality businesses are one of the most impacted business segments during this pandemic and we are facing a volume of such drastic business closures, we are risking losing the culinary culture and identity of entire cities due to lack of support for this industry. We would also urgently request a liaison from the Province to listen to the hardest hit business segments in Toronto which have been under the longest lockdown in North America, such as hospitality, fitness and wellness, and beauty industries. Here are some messages directly from a cross-section of affected businesses: “My wife and I have been working 12-14 hour days since the onset pandemic just to keep our business afloat. Allowing favourable pricing for licensees would be a welcome lifeline, helping us wean off subsidies while joining the ranks of rest of the world where bulk purchasers find economic viability.” -Shamez Amlani, Owner & Operator of La Palette Restaurant @ 492 Queen St West, Toronto “Our family owned and run business has been on Queen Street East since 2013. Running a local restaurant during a global pandemic has reinforced just how much the local community really wanted us to be here. Locals have sent flowers and their children’s drawings to thank the restaurant for staying open during such a challenging time. During tough times, it really gives you the courage to keep on going. But our business is suffering major losses with every week that passes and we can’t keep our doors opened without stronger government support. Ceasing the 6% markup would be a most welcome step.” -Diana Sideris, Owner & Operator of Tabule Middle Eastern Cuisine @ 810 Queen St East, Toronto “We were caught in the storm of COVID two months after opening and all our original hires left. But I decided that we would not shut down…not even for a day. I kept the doors open through deliveries and takeouts. However, we can’t sustain this business model, we need more hospitality support now to survive to make it through to the return of outdoor and indoor dining.” -Rohit Wadhawan, Owner & Operator of Indian Spice Room @ 717 Queen St East, Toronto “We are a yoga studio since 2014 in the neighbourhood. We’ve qualified for all the government support available, it’s good, but to be completely honest, it's not enough. There is a lot of red tape around it, and you have to wait quite a while to receive a lot of the funding. Any money that I have received goes right into paying bills. We are pulling out all the stops with live-stream classes, online merchandise and marketing, but with our in-class business shut down the majority of the past year, it is a dire situation and unsustainable at current levels of support.” -Rachelle Wintzen, Owner & Founder of Chi Junky Yoga & Wellness Studio @ 70 McGee Street, Toronto “As the mother and wife of high-risk people, I understand and support all public health measures to reduce the spread of COVID 19 that are backed by scientific evidence. As a spa owner who has not been able to operate since November 23rd, 2020, I am also feeling the devastating impact of these closures on my business, my personal financial health, and the mental health and well-being of myself, my team, and my clients. The toll a year’s worth of half-measures and last-minute decisions has taken on small business owners in Bloorcourt (and across Ontario) is immeasurable and we simply cannot continue on this path.” -Michelle Palmer, Owner & Founder of Pause Beauty @ 993 Bloor St West, Toronto Once again, while we recognize that efforts have been made to support our businesses during the ongoing pandemic, not enough has been done. Due to the financial devastation that has been produced by the actions provincial government measures have been enacted to date, some businesses are taking risks under the strain they are experiencing. The only way to navigate past this reality is to directly address their concerns transparently on a financial, mental and emotional level. The measures we have outlined are what business leaders need to see now to prevent decimation of our main streets. On behalf all of the BIAs mentioned above, Jennifer Lay Meg Marshall Executive Director Manager Riverside BIA Bloorcourt & Queen Street West BIAs c.c. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale) Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca MP Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill) Mary.Ng@international.gc.ca MP Julie Dabrusin (Toronto-Danforth) Julie.Dabrusin@parl.gc.ca MP Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport) Julie.Dzerowicz@parl.gc.ca Mayor John Tory (City of Toronto) mayor_tory@toronto.ca Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) councillor_fletcher@toronto.ca Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre) councillor_wongtam@toronto Councillor Ana Bailao (Davenport) Councillor_Bailao@toronto.ca Councillor Mike Layton (University-Rosedale) councillor_layton@toronto.ca Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York) councillor_cressy@toronto.ca Councillor Brad Bradford (Beaches East-York) councillour_bradford@toronto.ca John Kiru - Toronto BIA Association jkiru@toronto-bia.com
1 Comment
 Emailed to:
Premier Doug Ford premier@ontario.ca MPP Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria (Brampton South) prabmeet.sarkaria@pc.ola.org Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction MPP Vic Fedeli (Nipissing) vic.fedelico@pc.ola.org Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Chair of CabinetMPP Lisa Thompson (Huron-Bruce) lisa.thompson@pc.ola.org Minister of Government and Consumer Services MPP Chris Glover (Spadina-Fort York) CGlover-CO@ndp.on.ca MPP Marit Stiles (Davenport) MStiles-QP@ndp.on.ca MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth) tabunsp-co@ndp.on.ca MPP Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale) jbell-CO@ndp.on.ca MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) CFife-QP@ndp.on.ca April 9, 2021 To our provincial leaders, Re: Urgent Ask for Additional Supports and Clarity for Main Street Businesses The Riverside District, Queen Street West, Bloorcourt, Leslieville and West Queen West BIAs are five of Toronto’s 80+ BIAs. We collectively represent approximately 1300 small and medium sized businesses and property owners. The views expressed in this letter come from our direct consultations with our members. While we recognize that efforts have been made to support our businesses during the ongoing pandemic, not enough has been done. Our members are looking for outcomes including more financial support for Toronto-based businesses, policy that is driven by transparent statistics, and clear lines of communication. In summary, what is needed:
Due to the financial devastation that has been produced by the actions provincial government measures have been enacted to date, some businesses are taking risks under the strain they are experiencing. The only way to navigate past this reality is to directly address their concerns transparently on a financial, mental and emotional level. We are already losing the character of our neighbourhoods and the social and economic diversity in all sectors of industry. The measures we have outlined are what business leaders need to see now to prevent decimation of our main streets. On behalf all of the BIAs mentioned above, Jennifer Lay Meg Marshall Executive Director Manager Riverside BIA Bloorcourt & Queen Street West BIAs c.c. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale) Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca MP Mary Ng (Markham-Thornhill) Mary.Ng@international.gc.ca MP Julie Dabrusin (Toronto-Danforth) Julie.Dabrusin@parl.gc.ca MP Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport) Julie.Dzerowicz@parl.gc.ca Mayor John Tory (City of Toronto) mayor_tory@toronto.ca Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) councillor_fletcher@toronto.ca Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre) councillor_wongtam@toronto Councillor Ana Bailao (Davenport) Councillor_Bailao@toronto.ca Councillor Mike Layton (University-Rosedale) councillor_layton@toronto.ca Councillor Joe Cressy (Spadina-Fort York) councillor_cressy@toronto.ca Councillor Brad Bradford (Beaches East-York) councillour_bradford@toronto.ca John Kiru - Toronto BIA Association jkiru@toronto-bia.com  Toronto is a very photogenic city. We have one of the best skylines in the world. With that said, there are some sections of the city that have amazing character - Queen Street West is certainly one of them. My name is Richie (@rich3dee) and am a Toronto based portrait and street-style photographer, sharing what inspires me for photo shoots and capturing moments along Queen Street West. Favourite Places To Shoot On Queen West Graffiti Alley Everyone’s favourite spot, or perhaps the most notable spot is Graffiti Alley. Its the longest stretch of alleyway in the city where you can see street art from some of the city’s most talented artists. My very first portrait session was shot in Graffiti Alley in 2016 because like everyone else, I wanted to take pictures in a cool urban scape with character. I mean, where else can you find a random couch and step stool to use as a prop for a shoot? More recently, Graffiti Alley has been utilized by artists to address social issues such as Black Lives Matter with an initiative called “Paint the City Black”. During the height of the social injustice that occurred at the beginning of the summer, many artists showed their solidarity through art.  Osgoode Station This is such a cool spot for street photography as you can capture a lot of people on the go as they are rushing out of the station to catch the street car or running into the station to catch the next train.  Queen and Spadina Such a busy intersection with a mix of old and new Toronto, coupled with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic, Queen and Spadina is a street photographers dream (beware to not get caught on the street car tracks!). The south-west corner of the intersection also offers a nice unobstructed view of the CN Tower.  With street photography in Toronto, I look at it as an opportunity to capture the character, beauty and charm that makes the city such a unique and diverse place. I absolutely love shooting our street cars, our historic buildings and people in motion. We have some of the most photogenic street cars in the world, the bright red rocket that you can see coming from a mile away. Queen Street West definitely offers some unique views of our space needle aka CN Tower. One thing is for sure, the people in the streets of Toronto are always hustling, always on the go which always makes for amazing actions shots during a leisurely stroll of Queen West. Tips for Shooting on Queen West
Photography and Writing by Richie Dos Santos
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Land Acknowledgement
The City of Toronto acknowledges that what we now call Toronto is on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The City also acknowledges that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
The City of Toronto acknowledges that what we now call Toronto is on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The City also acknowledges that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.