Happy New Year! 

Thank you for scanning the QR Code and joining us for this update. Please scroll down for all updates or use the menu below to quickly be directed to an area of interest.
“Long Live Queen West” has been our catch phrase during this pandemic time embodying the resilience and history of our amazing BIA (Business Improvement Area).

Covid19 may have made doing business more challenging for the majority of us during 2020 but the vibrancy, energy and passion of Queen Street West will continue to shine despite these circumstances. Throughout the spring and summer the Queen Street West BIA (QSWBIA) has worked hard to support our stakeholders by providing time sensitive communication about changing federal, provincial and municipal policies, provided PPE starter kits incuding sanitizer, masks, gloves and hand washing guides for our neighbourhood, were one of the initial advocates for the newly legislated liquor-to-go laws for bars and restaurants and have worked extremely hard in the implementation of the CafeTO program.

This QSWBIA QR code which you have scanned is meant to deliver upcoming programming information to our area members in a Covid19 friendly manner. Some of these initiatives have been curated for businesses to engage and participate in, with the goal of raising our community’s visibility and remind Toronto that Queen Street West is a flagship neighbourhood to shop, dine and do business in. If your business would like to be featured in one of these projects please contact us at queenstreetto@gmail.com so that we can provide you more information and you can stay in tune with all of the happenings on Queen Street West.

Upcoming Initiatives

The 31 Jolly Days Of Queen

For the month of December the QSWBIA will be featuring a digital Holiday gifting calendar on our social media. Every day of the month a gift certificate highlighting a different business on Queen Street West will be raffled off to a participating lucky winner through our social platforms. This is an opportunity to have a $50 gift certificate for your business purchased by the BIA and featured as part of the contest.

For more information and to participate in the 31 Jolly Days of Queen please email queenstreetto@gmail.com with 31 Jolly Days of Queen in the subject line.

Inaugural Queen Street West Winter Magazine

QSWBIA is creating a Winter magazine to highlight our lauded community. This magazine will be circulated throughout participating Queen Street West businesses, local hotels and will also have some residential distribution. The magazine will highlight some of the food, music & entertainment of our community, provide a little history tour and have a directory of all our businesses.

If you would like to have some copies of the Queen Street West Winter Magazine for your business please email queenstreetto@gmail.com with Queen Winter Magazine in the subject line.

Holiday Marketing Push For Queen Street West

The BIA has committed to a holiday media push to highlight our businesses and community. While honouring the current Toronto and Ontario Public Health precautionary directives the goal of the marketing campaign will be to keep Queen Street West businesses foremost in consumer’s minds during the holidays. An emphasis will be put on Shop and Support Queen Street West - Safely in Person or Online. The campaign will include traditional media buys as well as a grass roots social media influencer campaign.

If you would like to have an influencer feature your business during the campaign (may involve a small purchase of one of your offerings by the BIA to highlight your business) please email queenstreetto@gmail.com with Holiday Marketing Campaign in the subject line.

Bag of Toronto - Queen Street West Edition

QSWBIA is participating in the bagoftoronto.ca program. In an effort to support local businesses the Bag of Toronto is a gift bag filled with items purchased from local small businesses. Participating businesses have a  product purchased and included in the bag.
Current campaign participation is complete but to be included in future Bag of Toronto campaigns please email queenstreetto@gmail.com with Bag of Toronto in the subject line.

ArtworxTO - “High Praises”

The QSWBIA has been awarded a grant from the City of Toronto to curate an artistic project to highlight the neighbourhood.  The QSWBIA project called “High Praises” will be a series of artistic installations on the rooftops of some Queen Street West businesses with inspiring messages of hope and community.

To learn more about this project please email queenstreetto@gmail.com
with ArtworxTO in the subject line.

Winter CafeTO

While the CafeTo program cannot extend coverage to the curb parking lane during the winter months there is a winter extension of the CafeTO program. Qualifying businesses can find details about the program at the following link: https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/covid-19-protect-yourself-others/covid-19-reduce-virus-spread/covid-19-cafeto/ and scroll down to "About More Winter CafeTO"

Streetscaping

The BIA is actively reviewing medium and long term streetscaping projects that will continue to refine our community. Some of the project scopes include work towards additional seating, bike parking and in partnership with the City of Toronto an art installation between Soho to Spadina.

QSWBIA will also be installing artistic banners on hydro poles as part of our visibility efforts. Please subscribe to our mailing list by emailing queenstreetto@gmail.com and put Mailing List in the subject line for more information about upcoming streetscaping projects.

Annual General Meeting

The Queen Street West AGM will be held on January 14th, 2021 at 1pm. Formal information will be circulated to property owners and commercial tenants in the coming week. In accordance with direction from public health authorities this year’s AGM will be held virtually and information about how to log in and participate will be provided by email.

Please subscribe to our mailing list by emailing queenstreetto@gmail.com and put Mailing List in the subject line to receive more AGM information.

Community On Queen

At the AGM last year the board highlighted some initiatives titled Community on Queen in an effort to be socially responsible to our neighbourhood. While some of these initiatives were slowed or paused due to the Covid19 pandemic the QSWBIA remains committed to cultivating a positive and inclusive atmosphere in our area.

In the spring the QSWBIA distributed to all businesses a full page Drop In Resource and map along with How To Report A Crime pamphlet to provide stakeholders with a tangible document to share with their employees and persons that they notice might be in distress. The QSWBIA will continue growing and implementing the Community On Queen program maintaining a focus on some key pillars of the program Education, Mobilization and Compassion. Updated versions of those guides will be distributed in the New Year. Of note our local charity, St Felix, is participating in the “Coldest Night of the Year” event - A city wide walk (Covid safety protocols in place)  meant to highlight the difficulties displaced persons face while being in the cold. For more information about the Coldest Night of the Year walk please visit CNOY.ORG or contact St Felix at connect@stfelixcentre.com .

For more information or to be involved with the Community on Queen initiatives please email queenstreetto@gmail.com and put Community on Queen in the subject line.

Be Included In Our "What's Open Map"

The Queen Street West BIA is making a map of what's open during the pandemic. If you're offering curbside, takeout or selling online be included in this map which will be advertised through all of our social channels.
To be included  please email queenstreetto@gmail.com and put We Are Open in the subject line.

The QSWBIA hopes you all
stay healthy and safe!