Watch the video above: The changing face of Church Street. Mark McAllister reports.
TORONTO – Just a few months before World Pride descends upon Toronto, many ‘open for business’ signs are being replaced with ‘for lease’ signs in the city’s Church-Wellesley neighbourhood.
One of the reasons? The rest of the city is more inclusive than ever.
“There isn’t the same all-in-one need that people have any more to come to the village for their LGBT nightlife and entertainment,” Liz Devine, spokesperson for the Church-Wellesley Village BIA said. “I think that we’re going to start to see a village that has a broader level of businesses that cater to more communities.”
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World Pride runs from June 20 to 29 and is the first time the international festival has been held in North America. Thousands of tourists are expected to descend upon Toronto during the nine day festival.
Woody’s – one of the neighbourhood’s most well-known bars – has been operating for 25 years. The general manager of Woody’s Dean Odorico says rents in the village are increasing making it harder for small, independent businesses to survive.
“The one thing is you see a lot of chains moving in, who can afford the rent,” he said. “It’s a lot harder for the standalone operators to make a go of it.
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