Nearly $20 million in subsidies has been earmarked for café patios and shrubbery in empty parking lots in Toronto, cabinet announced Wednesday, says Blacklock’s Reporter..“This is the love being returned,” said Liberal MP Adam Vaughan (Spadina-Fort York, Ont.), of the $19 million cabinet beautification subsidies..“We can help lead this country back to better days,” said Vaughan. “It starts with the vaccine. It starts with shopping locally. It also starts with loving Toronto more than you’ve ever loved it before.”.“That gets you heckled a lot in the House of Commons when you say that, but I left city council to go to Ottawa to make sure people started to love Toronto a little bit better up in Ottawa and this is the love being returned.”.The funding was approved through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. It included subsidies to “cost-share improvements to patio space,” according to an Agency statement..“It is a time for many firsts these days,” said Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly. “Last night I had my first patio event with friends. It was great.”.“Many restaurants want to have a patio,” said Joly. “There is a wait list of more than a thousand of them. This funding will help deal with the backlog. So, good news is coming for restaurant owners.”.Subsidies were also directed to a municipal program to “transform fifteen strip mall parking lots in Scarborough, Etobicoke and the inner suburbs” by installing temporary benches, shrubs and flower pots. “We know Scarborough and Etobicoke have beautiful plazas,” said Joly..“Sometimes their parking lots are empty,” said Joly. “There have been different initiatives to make sure these empty parking spaces become a green gathering space. We need to do more and we will do more.”.Grants would also be awarded to 40 black-owned businesses in Toronto to “help Little Jamaica entrepreneurs to be able to also build back better,” said Joly, as well as funding for a municipal counselling service for other small business owners. “We can count on the resiliency and creativity of Torontonians to develop a great plan, a plan for recovery of the city,” said Joly..“This is the best plan I’ve seen,” said Joly. “Torontonians can be extremely proud. We’re clapping. The idea is to support the city’s plan. We will invest $19 million to make sure Toronto is able to be back on the road to recovery.”.Toronto Mayor John Tory yesterday thanks for the federal aid. “Canada has an economic engine and it is, as much as sometimes people don’t like it, it is the City of Toronto,” said the mayor..Mike D’Amour is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
Nearly $20 million in subsidies has been earmarked for café patios and shrubbery in empty parking lots in Toronto, cabinet announced Wednesday, says Blacklock’s Reporter..“This is the love being returned,” said Liberal MP Adam Vaughan (Spadina-Fort York, Ont.), of the $19 million cabinet beautification subsidies..“We can help lead this country back to better days,” said Vaughan. “It starts with the vaccine. It starts with shopping locally. It also starts with loving Toronto more than you’ve ever loved it before.”.“That gets you heckled a lot in the House of Commons when you say that, but I left city council to go to Ottawa to make sure people started to love Toronto a little bit better up in Ottawa and this is the love being returned.”.The funding was approved through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. It included subsidies to “cost-share improvements to patio space,” according to an Agency statement..“It is a time for many firsts these days,” said Economic Development Minister Mélanie Joly. “Last night I had my first patio event with friends. It was great.”.“Many restaurants want to have a patio,” said Joly. “There is a wait list of more than a thousand of them. This funding will help deal with the backlog. So, good news is coming for restaurant owners.”.Subsidies were also directed to a municipal program to “transform fifteen strip mall parking lots in Scarborough, Etobicoke and the inner suburbs” by installing temporary benches, shrubs and flower pots. “We know Scarborough and Etobicoke have beautiful plazas,” said Joly..“Sometimes their parking lots are empty,” said Joly. “There have been different initiatives to make sure these empty parking spaces become a green gathering space. We need to do more and we will do more.”.Grants would also be awarded to 40 black-owned businesses in Toronto to “help Little Jamaica entrepreneurs to be able to also build back better,” said Joly, as well as funding for a municipal counselling service for other small business owners. “We can count on the resiliency and creativity of Torontonians to develop a great plan, a plan for recovery of the city,” said Joly..“This is the best plan I’ve seen,” said Joly. “Torontonians can be extremely proud. We’re clapping. The idea is to support the city’s plan. We will invest $19 million to make sure Toronto is able to be back on the road to recovery.”.Toronto Mayor John Tory yesterday thanks for the federal aid. “Canada has an economic engine and it is, as much as sometimes people don’t like it, it is the City of Toronto,” said the mayor..Mike D’Amour is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
