No, this is not a joke — there's actually been a win for local music venues.
And you can believe it, because it happened earlier this week: Toronto Mayor John Tory announced the city's plans to reduce property taxes for eligible venues on a permanent basis.
Over the course of the pandemic, the city's tax relief program reportedly helped 48 live music venues in 2020 and 58 in 2021 with an average savings of $18,995 for a collective total of $1.7 million annually. While the future of living with COVID-19 remains uncertain, the tax break for local bars, clubs and concert halls is set to become a continuing fixture in the City of Toronto's infrastructure.
"The assessment on some of those buildings was going up high because it was assumed they would all be turned into condos, which we don't want, but that caused the taxes to go up and that in turn made it almost impossible for a music venue to exist," Tory said [via CBC] at Monday's (March 28) press conference at one of said venues, Dundas Street West's the Baby G.
The mayor went on to note that, across the city, venues of all sizes and levels of renown have been opening or reopening. "They have expenses now — they always have," he said. "And they have musical acts on now. And they need people to buy the tickets, buy the drinks and be supportive."
Tory added: "We need to people to get out there and do that, starting now."
"It's the greatest thing that the City of Toronto has ever done for live music operators," Jeff Cohen — president and CEO of the Horseshoe Tavern and Lee's Palace, who appears among heroes of the local scene in Danny Alexander's No Tickets at the Door documentary — said of the tax break, which he estimates saved him $110,000 each year. "It's probably kept us alive."
In related news, City Councillor Joe Cressy recently announced that a new venue and performance space on Queen West is in the works.
And you can believe it, because it happened earlier this week: Toronto Mayor John Tory announced the city's plans to reduce property taxes for eligible venues on a permanent basis.
Over the course of the pandemic, the city's tax relief program reportedly helped 48 live music venues in 2020 and 58 in 2021 with an average savings of $18,995 for a collective total of $1.7 million annually. While the future of living with COVID-19 remains uncertain, the tax break for local bars, clubs and concert halls is set to become a continuing fixture in the City of Toronto's infrastructure.
"The assessment on some of those buildings was going up high because it was assumed they would all be turned into condos, which we don't want, but that caused the taxes to go up and that in turn made it almost impossible for a music venue to exist," Tory said [via CBC] at Monday's (March 28) press conference at one of said venues, Dundas Street West's the Baby G.
The mayor went on to note that, across the city, venues of all sizes and levels of renown have been opening or reopening. "They have expenses now — they always have," he said. "And they have musical acts on now. And they need people to buy the tickets, buy the drinks and be supportive."
Tory added: "We need to people to get out there and do that, starting now."
"It's the greatest thing that the City of Toronto has ever done for live music operators," Jeff Cohen — president and CEO of the Horseshoe Tavern and Lee's Palace, who appears among heroes of the local scene in Danny Alexander's No Tickets at the Door documentary — said of the tax break, which he estimates saved him $110,000 each year. "It's probably kept us alive."
In related news, City Councillor Joe Cressy recently announced that a new venue and performance space on Queen West is in the works.