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Old Town Toronto
Business Improvement Area
The Old Town Toronto Business Improvement Area is a non-profit organization whose membership includes every business and commercial property owner within the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood. We work cooperatively to improve the public realm, promote the neighbourhood and events, and support local business. The BIA boundaries extend from the East side of Yonge Street to the West side of Parliament Street, and from Lakeshore Boulevard up to just South of Queen Street.
Our mandate includes developing and implementing streetscape beautification including heritage lighting and signage, and promotional programs with a view to increasing business revenues and tourism in the area. The Old Town Toronto BIA is actively working with area residents, government agencies and consultants to enhance the quality of the environment in which we work and live. These projects are financed through a levy, which is applied to all businesses located within the geographical boundaries of the BIA.
Old Town Toronto
It all began in 1793 as the Town of York and the creation of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood. People lived and worked there, traded and sold, gathered to socialize and attend church or, on occasion, to form secret alliances and plan rebellions and uprisings. Today, St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood continues to be a place where old and new coexist, where heritage buildings stand alongside modern condominiums and businesses.
You can travel back in time and explore the original 10 blocks of the city in the Town of York, wander the Victorian lanes of Corktown and discover 19th Century architecture in Queen Street East. Or take a selfie with our historic re-enactors and artisans and explore life as it was in the 1800’s. Marvel at the heritage architecture of St. Lawrence Hall, the Flatiron Building, St. James Cathedral and the Distillery factory complex.
Old Town Toronto is a place to eat whether at one of the many fine dining restaurants or relaxing with a pint at a friendly pub. Hungry office workers and shoppers congregate at the 215 year old St. Lawrence Market to enjoy a wide array of international gourmet treats or stock up on fresh, locally grown produce. In August, the Old Town Toronto BIA’s signature festival Feast of St. Lawrence celebrates this area as a food destination with a 2-day event focused on eating local, raising funds for a food charity and healthy fun for the whole family. Lovers of the arts flock to see world class live performances of theatre, dance and music on Front Street and frequent the fine art galleries in the Distillery District. Enjoy free concerts and movies in St. James Park and lunchtime music or a performance of a Sheakespeare play in Berczy Park during the summer, all presented by the Old Town Toronto BIA.
Rebellions still occur but in the unique fine home decor and design stores of King Street East where designers defy convention and create modern innovations. It’s all part of what makes Old Town Toronto a destination for everyone.
Our Neighbourhoods
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St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood
Located between Yonge and Parliament Streets and Lakeshore Blvd and Queen Street, the St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood is the…
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Town of York
Before Toronto became the modern thriving metropolis it is today, it was known as the Town of York. This ten- block area that is…
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King East Design District
Home is where the heart is so why not fill your home with beauty as well as function? Interior designers and budding fashionistas…
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Corktown
Situated East of Parliament Street between Queen Street East and Front Street, Corktown was named in honour of County Cork by the original…
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Historic Queen East
Extending from Victoria Street to River Street, Queen Street East is a vibrant, multicultural area containing a wide range of…
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Distillery District
Located at Mill Street and Parliament Street, this pedestrian only village is entirely dedicated to the arts, culture and…
Historical Sites and Attractions
Today, Toronto’s Old Town has one of the largest concentrations of 19th century buildings in Ontario, and is a tremendous heritage resource. The Heritage Landscape and Resource Guide, developed by Citizens for the Old Town, a grassroots community organization in the Old Town, provides foundational information on sources for Old Town researchers and document the changing urban and heritage landscape of the Old Town. It also provides a Heritage Landscape Field Guide to one of the oldest parts of the city and the individual sites or buildings identified as locally, provincially or nationally significant.
Flatiron (Gooderham) Building
Address: 49 Wellington Street East
The red-brick Gooderham Building (commonly referred to as the “Flatiron Building”) is a historic landmark of Toronto, Ontario, Canada located at 49 Wellington Street East. On the eastern edge of the city’s Financial District (east of Yonge Street), it is in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood wedged between Front Street and Wellington Street, where they join up to form a triangular intersection. Completed in 1892, it was an early example of a prominent “Flatiron” building. Other “Flatiron” examples are the English-American Building in Atlanta, completed in 1897, and the Fuller Building in New York City, completed in 1902. The Gooderham Building is the focal point of one of Toronto’s most iconic vistas: looking west down Front Street towards the building’s prominent rounded corner, framed on the sides by the heritage commercial blocks along Front Street, and with the skyscrapers of the Financial District towering in the background. The CN Tower is also visible from certain angles behind Brookfield Place. This vista frequently appears in imagery of the city.
Volunteer BIA Board
Board of Directors (2022-2026)
John Rennicks
Vice Chair
Adelaide Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
Michael Cruickshank
Director
York Heritage Properties
Graham Hnatiw
Director
Old Spaghetti Factory
Sara Spector
Director
Everyday Gourmet
Armen Tootikian
Director
Imperial Rug Galleries
Jane A Clarke
Director
Allied Reit
Marian Berinzon
Director
Steering Committees
Below is a list of the Steering Committees within the Old Town Toronto BIA. Click on each committee to find out more information.
BIA Staff
Robyn Posner
Director of Marketing, Events & Members Services
robynposner@oldtowntoronto.ca
416-861-1793
Stephen Maciejowski
Director of Operations & Special Projects
stephenm@oldtowntoronto.ca
416-410-9242
General email: info@oldtowntoronto.ca
BIA Calendar
Board of Directors Meetings 2024
- Wednesday, February 14th, 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 8th, 2 p.m.
- Tuesday, September 24th or Wednesday, September 25th, 2 p.m. (date to be confirmed)
- AGM – will take place in the last half of November (date to be confirmed)
To view events happening in the neighbourhood visit our Events page.
BIA Resources
Looking for more information?
Check out our most recent BIA newsletter here: Spring/Summer 2018
Find out more about the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA).
Old Town Reports
- Heritage Lighting Plan for Old Town Toronto – January 2011
- King Parliament Community Improvement Plan – 1997
- King Parliament Community Improvement Plan Update – 2002
- King Parliament Secondary Plan – October 2009
- King Parliament Urban Design Guidelines – June 2004
- Make a Place for People – Berczy Park – 2012
- Regeneration in the Kings – November 2002
- St. James Park – People Make Places – December 2012
- St. James Park Poster – 2012
- St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Community Improvement Plan – December 2007
- St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Focused Area Urban Design Guidelines – July 2005
- Toronto Official Plan – December 2005
Community Partners
The Old Town Toronto BIA works with many community organisations in the area. Below is a list of some of our partners.
- King East Design District
- St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association
- 51 Division Toronto Police
- Friends of Berczy
- Friends of St. James Park Toronto
- JAMII
- St. Lawrence Market
- Councillor Chris Moise
- Councillor Ausma Malik
- M.P.P. Kristyn Wong-Tam
Awards
- Green Toronto Award 2009 – Tree Watering Program
- OBIAA Green Award 2009 – Watering Cart Program
- Heritage Toronto Award 2010 – Heritage Building Lighting Program
- OBIAA Smart Growth 2010 – Heritage Building Lighting Program
- TABIA Paul Oberman Heritage Award 2012 – 1812 Legacy Program
- National Awards of Landscape Excellence’s Green for Life Community Award 2013 – St. James Park Rejuvenation
- TABIA Streetscape Award 2014 – The Esplanade Streetscape
Contact Info
Old Town Toronto BIA
258 Adelaide Street East
Suite 403
Toronto, ON M5A 1N1
General email: info@oldtowntoronto.ca
Mon-Fri: 8:30am – 5:00pm