Access to records held by the City of Toronto is regulated by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The public has a right to see most City records, and to get copies of them (fees for photocopying may apply). There are some exceptions to public access.
Records are made available by:
Economic Development and Culture Division supports open, transparent, and accountable government through the establishment of routine disclosure practices for information it has created and holds about its program and services.
Routine disclosure information not on the website can be requested directly from the Division as outlined in the chart below.
If a request for information from the program or service area has been denied, or if you are unsure where to find/access information a formal freedom of information (FOI) request can be made through the City Clerk’s Office, Access and Privacy. If a freedom of information request is denied by the City, the decision can be appealed to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
Information which is protected through the MFIPPA (Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act) will not be disclosed.
Business travel expenses related to business travel, conferences and seminars, training, hospitality and protocol, and business meetings for the Economic Development and Culture division are reported centrally.
Economic Development and Culture Division (EDC) provides a wide range of information through its four main service areas described below.
Open Data is freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish. There is an Open Data License posted on the City’s Open Data site that outlines the City’s and users’ obligations relating to this data. The City does not guarantee the currency or accuracy of the data posted on the site.
The Economic Development and Culture Division provides six data sets as ESRI Shapefiles – geospatial vector data format – for geographic information systems software. These are:
| Type of information | Brief description | How to get the information |
|---|---|---|
| Arts services |
Arts Services provides community arts programming through partnerships that promote opportunities for artistic expression, audience development, arts education, and employment in the arts and cultural industries. Arts Services operate four City-owned cultural centres and art galleries:
|
View Cultural Centres & Galleries. Julie Frost |
| Business and industry advice | Economic development professionals provide personalized, direct access to City Hall, other levels of government and industry initiatives through a wide range of business services. |
View Economic Development Officers contact information. John Alderdice |
| Business grants, incentives and rebates | Information on City's business incentives programs including links to each web page for detailed information on guidelines, process and contact information. |
View Business Grants, Incentives & Rebates. General Inquiries |
| Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) | The City of Toronto's BIA Office is your first point of contact, offering assistance in:
The City also provides the following programs: |
View Business Improvement Areas. General Inquiries |
| Collections and conservation |
EDC is responsible for the care, conservation and display of a large and significant collection of historic objects – 150,000 items such as furniture, clothing and documents – as well as roughly 1.1 million archaeological objects that are authentic and tangible reminders of Toronto's history. EDC acts as the steward of the City's fine art collection, conserving the more than 2,500 moveable works of art, many dating back to the 19th century and making them available and accessible to the public. |
View Fine Art & Artifact Collection. Bawshkeengwabigun Chadwick |
| Creative Technology Office | The Creative Technology Office champions and provides support for Toronto’s Video Game, Immersive and Esports sectors, as well as providing industry support in navigating municipal services. |
Connect with the Creative Technology Office. General Inquiries Anthea Foyer |
| Cultural partnerships | The Cultural Partnerships Unit delivers grant programs for artists and cultural organizations, manages the development and stewardship of the City’s Public Art and Monuments Collection and supports the retention and development of cultural infrastructure across the city. |
View Arts & Culture Grants. Public Art Inquiries Cultural Space Inquiries Ben Macintosh |
| Event planning | The Event Support Unit (ESU) provides support and consultation services to the hundreds of local, national and international festivals. ESU also supports conventions and sport tourism bids which occur in the City of Toronto. |
View Event supports. General Inquiries |
| Exporting to international markets | Information on Toronto's international partnerships, and information for Toronto's businesses about export markets through marketing and international relationships. |
View Exporting to International Markets. General Inquiries |
| Film Office | Provides one-stop concierge service for all film productions shot in Toronto. The film office co-ordinates all location filming within the city and provides industry development support to the local screen-based community. |
View Film in Toronto. General Inquiries |
| Information and statistics | The Research and Data Analytics team monitors and analyzes Toronto’s economy through a macroeconomic lens, including financial and real estate markets, labour market conditions, business activity, trade and business sentiment through a suite of dashboards. |
The Toronto Economic Insight and Trade Dashboard provides indicators on business activity, trade volume and business sentiment to better understand potential changes in investment under current economic conditions. The Toronto Economic Dashboard provides a timely overview of Toronto’s economy through financial, real estate and labour market data, complemented by select demographic indicators. General Inquiries |
| Key industry sectors | Information on key industry clusters including business related statistics, industry profiles and reports and publications. |
View Industry Sector Support. John Preece |
| Museums and heritage services |
The City operates 10 Toronto historic sites and offer a broad range of programs, events and exhibits. Rentals are available for a variety of business and social functions such as corporate meetings, weddings and birthday parties. |
View Toronto History Museums. Tristan Simpson Shiralee Hudson Hill |
| Music Office | The Toronto Music Directory is an interactive map and searchable catalogue of local music industry services, retailers, supporting organizations and venues. |
Connect with the Music Office General Inquiries Mike Tanner Jaclyn Tam |
| Small business and entrepreneurship services |
The Toronto Small Business Office offers a number of supports for those looking to start or grow their businesses. StartUp Here Toronto provides supports to the innovation ecosystem. |
Connect with the Toronto Small Business Office for New Businesses & Startups. General Inquiries Scarborough Civic Centre North York Civic Centre |
| Trade and investment | Information on Toronto's international partnerships, and information for Toronto's businesses about export markets through marketing and international relationships. |
View Exporting to International Markets. General Inquires |
| Visitor Economy Office | The Visitor Economy team fosters collaboration between the City, Tourism industry stakeholders and the local community, while providing valuable information services to visitors at the Toronto Tourist Information Centre (Union Station). The team is committed to creating community connections, providing industry support in navigating municipal services and enhancing the visitor experience. |
Connect with the Visitor Economy Office. For Visitor Information inquiries: |