It’s going to be a noisy and dusty month in Riverside as the City of Toronto and the TTC work to bring the streetcar track infrastructure at the Queen-Broadview intersection and adjacent roads/sidewalks up to a state of good repair.
This latest local track replacement project and intersection closure follows an equally challenging one at Queen and Leslie streets.
Understandably that work had a big impact on the local commercial strip and the Leslieville business improvement area (BIA) came up with a number of ideas to get people shopping and dining in the area despite the construction mess.
It’s now the Riverside BIA’s turn to come up with creative ways to encourage and reward the local community for shopping and dining in Riverside during the Queen/Broadview intersection closure.
With financial assistance from the City of Toronto, the local business improvement area has created the Riverside Summer Promo Passport, which targets loyal local customers and rewards them for continuing to visit the neighbourhood during construction.
All of the details can be found in a special event guide, which will be mailed out to 4,000 local households, as well as on the BIA’s website at www.Riverside-to.com
Those who take part in this customer-loyalty program can receive a free Riverside mug, limited edition T-shirt or TTC streetcar paper cut-out.
The prizes vary by how many purchases customers make at different businesses along the strip and the promotion will run as long as quantities last.
More than 30 Riverside businesses will also be offering special promotions during the intersection closure.
Additionally, the Riverside BIA has organized a number of community events throughout the month of July.
On Sunday, July 13 from 1 to 6 p.m., neighbours are invited to the Riverside ARTfest. This free outside art event will include a number of live art installations at the following locations:
• Queen and Munro streets (OMA Chiropractic) – a Riverside-heritage themed athletics mural painting
• along the Queen Street East sidewalk between Boulton Avenue and Grant Street - The PATCH Project will be live painting three storefront panels outside empty storefronts on the north side of Queen Street East between Boulton Avenue and Saulter Street. Afterwards, the BIA will own the panels and display them along the streetscape
• Across the street, macFAB and the Artists’ Network Double Bubble Kid Fun where children will be able to make hand-crafted designer paper using a coloured bubble solution to create a masterpiece
• Queen and Saulter streets on the Target Park Fence – an Origami installation inspired by East Asian koi ponds by artist Samantha Dizon.
ArtFEST will also feature a customer appreciation soirée at Dimensions Custom Framing, 732 Queen St. E., and a bike workshop at Switchback Cyclery, 651 Queen St. E., as well as a children’s "Sidewalk Chalk-it Up" among other things.
The Riverside BIA has also organized a Riverside Historical Walk by local historian Ron Fletcher on Sunday, July 20 at 1 p.m. at the Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen St. E. Visit www.riversidesummerpromo.eventbrite.ca to RSVP.
To celebrate the re-opening of the intersection, community members are invited to a free Taste of Riverside Food Tour by the Culinary Adventure Company on Saturday, July 26 starting at 2 p.m. Visit www.tasteyourneighbourhood.ca to register.
Further, the BIA is encouraging people to support the Riverside Good Food Market every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Queen and Saulter streets. The volunteer-based market brings high quality, fresh and affordable food to the neighborhood.
The Shop Riverside Loyalty Promo will run from Monday, June 30 at 6:45 p.m. to Saturday, July 26 at 7:45 p.m.
- Joanna Lavoie
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