Today, Mayor John Tory announced the appointment of Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Ward 21 Scarborough Centre), Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee, as the City’s Night Economy Ambassador to be the champion on City Council for Toronto’s nighttime economy.
The term “nighttime economy” describes the social, cultural and economic activities that take place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in the city. As a vibrant nighttime economy has become a competitive edge for modern cities worldwide, Toronto sees local nighttime activity as an important part of the overall economy. A city that safely and effectively infuses music, entertainment and nighttime vibrancy into its civic culture attracts and retains young people, enhances livability for residents and increases tourism throughout the year.
The Toronto region’s nightlife employs tens of thousands of people in many sectors. Edmonton found that the economic impact stemming from its late-night entertainment economy was $1.4 billion in 2014 and a study of New York City’s nighttime economy reported that it had an economic output of $19.1 billion (USD) in 2016.
Earlier this year, Mayor Tory pledged to foster job creation and economic development by growing Toronto’s evening economy. City Council endorsed the Strengthening Toronto’s Nighttime Economy report on July 16 and requested that the Mayor designate a member of Council as Toronto’s Night Economy Ambassador. Council also directed staff to implement the Toronto Nightlife Action Plan to strengthen Toronto’s nightlife over the next three years, using and in some cases re-aligning existing City resources. The City is working across divisions and will be engaging further with Toronto nightlife industry leaders and residents to grow and foster this important sector.
The report on strengthening Toronto’s nighttime economy is available at http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.EC6.8.
Quotes:
“I am committed to continuing to strengthen and grow Toronto’s economy, including our nighttime economy, the new competitive edge for global cities. Toronto has a thriving night life but I believe this collaborative approach will help enhance and grow this economy for residents, tourists and the tens of thousands of Torontonians it employs.”
– Mayor John Tory
“As the City’s first Night Economy Ambassador, I will continue advocating for Toronto’s music, entertainment and culture sectors and be their voice on Council as we work to strengthen and diversify Toronto’s night economy. More importantly, I will engage with residents and local businesses to ensure they are properly consulted throughout this process.”
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.