Executive Director's Message - Feb 2019

Emery Village Business Improvement Area‘s mandate is to represent, promote and foster success in our business community while making neighbourhood improvements toward a sustainable designated Employment Area.

Joining with partners, including the City of Toronto’s various divisions and departments, our City Councillor and others, we deliver street scape improvements, capital works projects, information seminars, events and programs to the benefit of residents and businesses. For instance, our Security Patrol Program is in place to deter crime and make pedestrians and shoppers feel safer. We are proud of the success we’ve enjoyed with our programs and grateful to our service partners and members for their co-operation.

Throughout the years, we’ve added street furniture (benches, pedestrian lighting) friendly and attractive walkways, hanging flower baskets and feature gardens in front of commercial areas, intersections and bus stops. We build historical markers to remind us of the past, places and names of people who helped to build Emery, and feature street banners that celebrate who and where we are today.

We also look for opportunities to raise awareness with our members and encourage them to engage the local community. Just as important, we seek to influence decision making to achieve the goals that allow our businesses to flourish and make Emery a place others want to come to. While a growing number of businesses relocate to Emery Village we are also working on favourable policies to encourage new and emerging enterprises.

As part of our ongoing work, we are in stakeholder discussions with Metrolinx and with Mosaic Transit Group, the constructor who’s been selected by the province to build the Finch West LRT. These discussions include the design of the public space adjoining the Finch corridor through the BIA. We have their agreement that the final design maintains our distinction as a community and would further the plans for a community hub and amenities that are lacking along Finch. Metrolinx and Mosaic Transit Group have identified our BIA as important stakeholders to enhance and amplify their communication with the community and businesses on construction updates and on any planned disruptions to traffic, upcoming lane closures and road work.

Currently, Mosaic Transit is reaching out to our businesses and service providers to participate in the upcoming project. They are also seeking young people and job entrants willing to learn the trades and acquire the job skills for employment. For both job and business opportunities visit: www.mosaictransit.com

You can find more information on the Finch West LRT project on our website at: www.emeryvillagebia.ca

Or visit: www.metrolinx.com/finchwestlrt

Executive Director

Sandra Farina