The Theatre Centre Celebrated on Lisgar street this summer.
October 30, 2024
The Theatre Centre Community BBQ & Hangout received My Main Street support to draw visitors and increase vibrancy on Toronto’s main streets.
Toronto, ON – The Theatre Centre is pleased to announce that our Community BBQ & Hangout was selected for the My Main Street Community Activator initiative and received support for the family-friendly event on July 19th that celebrated the talents of local artists.
The successful event served over 830 attendees from communities across Toronto, bringing people together over a shared meal, ice-cold treats, and live art. The Theatre Centre was thrilled to partner with both Lost Craft and Queen Street Post Inc., in addition to working with the West Queen West BIA to invite local businesses like Treat Bar to join the fun. The BBQ fostered social connection, community engagement, and a sense of belonging for the neighbourhood, having a long-lasting impact on the organization’s visibility and sense of place in the community.
This event is part of The Theatre Centre’s 10 for 10 programming, celebrating a decade in their forever home at 1115 Queen St. W. You can find more information about The Theatre Centre and what’s happening in the building, including the cafe/bar, performances, events, and free community meals at theatrecentre.org. Stay up to date on all the happenings in the building by signing up for our newsletter.
My Main Street is built on the principle of supporting community economic development and creating vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods which will enhance the overall quality of life for residents while also promoting sustainable and inclusive community development. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), and supported by a Government of Canada investment through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). Learn more about the My Main Street program at mymainstreet.ca.
“The Theatre Centre has always been deeply committed to serving its neighbours and neighbourhood. We are so grateful to My Main Street, the Canadian Urban Institute, and the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario for supporting our Community BBQ and Hangout, helping us connect with hundreds of locals who now know this is a place where they are always welcome.”
– Audrey Kwan, Managing Director, The Theatre Centre
“The Theatre Centre’s Community BBQ & Hangout is one of the many impactful placemaking projects happening across Ontario’s main streets thanks to the federal government’s investment in My Main Street Community Activator initiatives. Placemaking supports healthy, vibrant main streets and millions of Ontarians who live and work around them. The community has been empowered to leverage community events on their main street to create a hub of social and economic activity, setting long term change in motion.”
– Mary W. Rowe, CEO and President, Canadian Urban Institute
“Communities throughout southern Ontario offer a diverse range of exciting experiences and businesses, attracting both local and international visitors to their lively main streets. Our government, through the Canadian Urban Institute, is supporting organizations that bring events and festivals, such as The Theatre Centre’s BBQ & Hangout, to showcase their region. When we invest in programs like My Main Street, we’re supporting and revitalizing our local communities.”
– The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Video Production and Editing by Creators at Play
Media Contacts
Katie Saunoris
Public Relations Consultant, KSPR
[email protected]
Samantha Staresincic
Communications Manager
My Main Street
[email protected]
Edward Hutchinson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
[email protected]
Background
About My Main Street: The My Main Street program has returned with an additional Government of Canada investment, building on an initial investment in 2021, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to spur local economic recovery. To date, the initial investment has supported nearly 4,500 businesses and organizations, nearly 7,500 jobs and leveraged nearly $19 million in additional investment. The funding aims to revitalize neighbourhood main streets with a healthy retail mix while generating inclusive economic opportunities. The program now features two streams – Business Sustainability and the Community Activator. My Main Street is delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI).
About Canadian Urban Institute (CUI): The Canadian Urban Institute is a leading organization dedicated to advancing urban solutions. CUI collaborates with city builders, researchers, and community leaders to create thriving, equitable, and sustainable urban spaces across Canada.
About FedDev Ontario: For 15 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our investment profiles, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About The Theatre Centre: The Theatre Centre is a nationally recognized live-arts incubator and community hub. Our mission is to offer a home for creative, cultural and social interactions to invent the future. We make work that spans disciplines and genres; work that pushes the boundaries of what is considered “art”. Our programming and our role as a community space are inextricably linked. Art is not made in a silo: it is connected to the world around it.