The Future of Islington Village's Retail Main Street
The IRRA, due to rapid redevelopment and urban intensification of Etobicoke Centre and The Village of Islington, initiated the Main Street Retail Focus Group in the fall of 2023.
Main Streets of Toronto are well understood as places of employment, economic activity, and cultural expression and diversity, and are integral to the well-being, and the prosperity of the city and local neighbourhoods. (Toronto Retail Guidelines,2019) Our report seeks to refocus the city on the importance and future our historic Main Street.
Our retail report’s goal is to proactively communicate clearly and concisely to planners and developers, through our Councillors, the desires and needs of our community, before their building application is submitted to the city. We believe that; working with stakeholders to shape development applications and their final outcomes, prioritizing available resources to the benefit of The Village of Islington Main Street, and determining our Main Street’s context within Etobicoke Centre, will lead to a welcoming, beautiful, pedestrian friendly Main Street.
Many thanks to the hundreds of residents who completed our survey! Your contributions were thoughtful and essential in the writing of this report
We look forward to posting updates as we move forward.
Retail Main Street News
Planning Review of Islington Village Approved at Community Council
Globe and Mail : Can public investment revive Canada’s ailing main streets?
Globe and Mail : Can public investment revive Canada’s ailing main streets?
At the May 13th, 2024 Etobicoke York Community Council meeting, the Council unanimously voted to accept the motion put forth by Councillor Morley that:
"City Planning staff be directed to conduct a scoped review of existing Islington Village policies and guidelines, identify opportunities for placemaking, and recommend policy or guideline updates to better maintain the village character. "
Please click HERE to read the full motion.
The next step is a vote at the City of Toronto Council. Date TBD
The IRRA would like to thank both Councillor Morley and Councillor Holyday for their efforts with this initiative.
Globe and Mail : Can public investment revive Canada’s ailing main streets?
Globe and Mail : Can public investment revive Canada’s ailing main streets?
Globe and Mail : Can public investment revive Canada’s ailing main streets?
In the aftermath of the pandemic, small businesses along Canada’s main streets are still reporting below-normal revenues and business owner confidence is falling, studies by the Canadian Urban Institute are finding.
But greater public investment in infrastructure, incentives and changes in regulations can be effective in fostering growth and prosperity, experts said in a CityTalk webinar [ link to webinar } in March organized by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), a not-for-profit organization focused on urban issues.
Click HERE to read full article
CityTalk Webinar : How Investments in main streets support local (YouTube)
Globe and Mail : Can public investment revive Canada’s ailing main streets?
CityTalk Webinar : How Investments in main streets support local (YouTube)
A CityTalk webinar in March 2024 organized by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), a not-for-profit organization focused on urban issues.
“Main streets may not all look the same, but they are the connective tissue of every city in Canada. They deliver more than just commercial activity and services; they create social cohesion and access to collective experiences and culture,” says Mary W. Rowe, president and chief executive officer of CUI, which has been tracking trends in collaboration with business improvement organizations across Canada through a program called Bring Back Main Street.
Click HERE to view webinar