The Parkdale Entertainment Moratorium – I Don’t Like It!

Toronto city council recently made a decision that means Parkdale (Queen Street West between Dufferin and Roncy) will not see any new food, beverage or liquor licences issued for a period of 12 months.

That’s a whole year without any new options for dinner, drinks, hanging out with friends, first dates, anniversaries, live music bar shows, etc.

I don’t like it.

4 years ago I moved into south Parkdale and as the years have passed I have fallen more in love with this neighbourhood and everything about it. Yes it’s true that we are home to a lot of low rent, low income, less than appearingly desirable neighbours. But over the last few years there has been growth. Queen West has bars and restaurants that people are willing to line-up at to get into and spend money. Money that this neighbourhood needs. Money that will turn into more jobs and prosperiety.

However,here’s the argument for the new bylaw, as reported by NOW: Perks (local city councillor Gord Perks) says the surprise freeze was necessary because new nightspots are opening up at such a rate that they’re beginning to push out local businesses that serve the day-to-day the life of the community. The Queen West strip is flanked by residential streets, many of them home to recent immigrants, low-income families, and psychiatric survivors.

“I’m watching what was a neighbourhood street turning into an entertainment district,” says Perks of the historically marginalized area that has become fashionable among young urban Torontonians in recent years.

“I’m getting a liquor license application coming into that stretch every other week…So we really needed to lower the temperature, protect what’s there before it’s gone.”

As a resident of the area – As a 30 year old hipsterish dude who has no plan to move out of Parkdale any time soon – As someone who comes from a small town with empty store fronts… this feels like a poor decision and a copout to me.

If Gord Perks is getting a license request every other week, he’s going to have to say no once a month or more. This bylaw and ban means that great ideas and business people will not be allowed to breath new life into this area.

I also think that the argument is ridiculous. If good ideas are permitted to go through and bad ideas aren’t, and the police and council are prepared to clean up the city through education, outreach, arrests, monitoring and more, people might actually want to shop and hangout in Parkdale in the daylight. Shops may want to open because they think people will show up and spend money. But as long as people are scared of the neighbourhood through rumours, history and the current situation – we won’t flourish.

If we are committed to doing the right things. It can be better. This neighbourhood can be as great as some of us want it to be. We can grow, not just be a cleaner version of the status quo.

Come on Gord. This bylaw wasn’t a good idea.

Note: As of now it looks like The Pinball Cafe is waiting to find out if their liquor license request (filled before the bylaw) will be approved and Grand Electric is waiting to find out if their liquor license request for a 2nd floor expansion (also filled before the bylaw) will be going through. I hope they do.

And to everyone who doesn’t live in Parkdale, if you want to come for a drink, coffee, dinner, pinball, music or any other fun times that we do have to offer – let me know. I’m here!

Be awesome.