Night Economy

March 12, 2020

Message from the Night Economy Ambassador

As the City’s first Night Economy Ambassador, it is my responsibility to work with city staff and stakeholders to grow Toronto’s night economy while balancing the best interests of local businesses, restauranteurs, venue operators, musicians, and residents.

Cities around the world are capitalizing on the economic benefits that stem from a vibrant and active nightlife. Cities like Edmonton have seen $1.4 billion in economic impacts from its late-night entertainment economy. If this model were scaled up to the size of Toronto, the economic output would be $4.2 billion. A study of New York City’s night economy reported an output of $19.1 billion (USD). Scaled for Toronto, this could mean an economic output of $6.1 billion (USD) or $10.6 billion (CAD). While Toronto has not completed its own economic study, it is clear that there is great potential for the city to reap these benefits through an informed and comprehensive night strategy.

In my role, I will be advocating for a vibrant, safe and inclusive night economy. My focus is to create opportunities for all of Toronto’s many residents to enjoy a variety of activities in neighbourhoods across the city including Scarborough, North York and Etobicoke. My vision is to create a nightlife where our local artists and musicians, business owners and venue operators can thrive while being inclusive of shift workers, families, people of colour, members of the LGBTQ2+ community, neighbouring residents and visitors.

There is a lot of work to be done and it starts with hearing from you. I encourage you to get involved by completing the City of Toronto’s Night Economy Survey online and by sharing your thoughts with us at one of our Night Economy Listening Tour meetings in the coming weeks. In May, there will also be a Night Economy Town Hall during Canadian Music Week. The session will be free and open to the public.

This is an exciting opportunity for the City of Toronto. A focused effort on the city’s night economy is sure to create an even stronger draw for visitors and tourists alike while also providing residents with fun and interesting activities.

I look forward to working closely with city staff, industry experts, business owners and residents to build a strong, vibrant and diverse night economy.

Sincerely,

Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson

Night Economy Ambassador

City Councillor, Ward 21