This week, we launched our gallery exhibition TAXED OUT at Urbanspace Gallery with a panel discussion focusing on the threat of current commercial property tax assessments on small business and cultural organizations in Toronto, moderated by Cherise Burda. The panel included Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto City Council Candidate), LoriAnn Girvan (Chief Operating Officer, Artscape), Mark Garner (Executive Director, Downtown Yonge BIA), Peter Tomlinson (sessional lecturer, University of Toronto) and Rob Sysak (Executive Director, West Queen West BIA). Roughly 80 people joined us on a busy evening (which happened to include a giant pro-democracy rally at City Hall) for a lively and engaging kick-off to our show, on until December 14.
- View our Twitter Moment capturing the top tweets of the evening.
- Read “Small businesses ‘taxed out’ across Toronto hoping for long-term solution” from CBC News Online
Today, Novae Res Urbis published an article, Solutions Pending, which we have permission to repost here. The article summarizes our panel’s conversation well and adds additional commentary from Casey Brendon, Toronto revenue services director, and Julie Kwiecinski, provincial affairs for Ontario director at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Stay tuned for more activity on this file from the Ryerson City Building Institute. Hint: we may be convening another event on the issue.