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Today, Toronto Mayor John Tory recognized the resilience of Toronto’s music industry and celebrated the return of live music across the city.

In case you weren’t aware, Toronto’s live music venues generate a total economic impact of $850 million annually, while providing the equivalent of 10,500 full-time jobs. They also attract and retain creative young people, drive tourism and tourists’ spending in Toronto, and add to the culture and liveability of the city.

The Mayor visited The Baby G at 1608 Dundas St. W., along with Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão (Davenport), Councillor Brad Bradford (Beaches–East York) and Allan Reid, President and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and The JUNO Awards.

To help support live music venues early in the pandemic, the City of Toronto introduced reduced property taxes for every eligible live music venue. In 2020, 48 Toronto venues received this benefit – saving an average of $18,995 – increasing to 58 venues last year.

[Vancouver, BC’s ACTORS]

After a successful 2020 and 2021, the City made the decision to make the program permanent to help local venues on an ongoing basis. To date, eligible live music venues in Toronto have saved $1.7 million collectively per year.

Toronto is the Host City for the 2022 JUNO Awards, with JUNO Week events taking place from Monday, May 9 through Sunday, May 15 (the Awards ceremony takes place on May 15). The JUNOs will showcase Toronto and many of its amazing venues and artists and its music scene.

In recent months, live music venues across the city have been opening or reopening, from icons like Massey Hall and the El Mocambo, to large new spaces like History and small ones like Café Pamenar and many of Toronto’s major music festivals, promoters, venues and event organizers have confirmed plans to bring live music back for the summer of 2022.

In addition, The Music Office’s City Hall Live series will return this summer with City Hall Live After Dark. This year’s focus will include partnering on live music events happening outside Toronto’s downtown core that reflect the diversity of the city’s social culture at night.

The Amplified Music on Patios (AMP) pilot program, which featured live music on CaféTO patios in City Wards of Davenport, Spadina–Fort York, Toronto–Danforth and Beaches–East York from August through October 2021, generated paying gigs for an estimated 900 local acts.

Last year, Toronto hosted many virtual or hybrid music festivals and events, including Manifesto, Global Toronto, Indie Week, AfrowaveTO, Long Winter, Honey Jam, Wavelength and the 2021 JUNO Awards.

Musicians and the music industry – especially the live music sector – have faced tremendous challenges, particularly during the past two years. The City will continue to work with the industry to nurture and grow the sector and the artists it employs.   

Top image: Theory of A Deadman; photo by V13.net on Flickr.