Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area launches its spring Clean Streets Program April 20

BIA's Clean Streets Team kick-starts annual beautification effort in conjunction with 2013 Mayor's Community Clean-up

TORONTO, April 16, 2013 /CNW/ - The Toronto Entertainment District BIA (TOED BIA) will launch the third year of its Clean Streets Program together with the annual Mayor's Community Clean-up on Saturday, April 20.

"The Mayor's Community Clean-up day is a great kickoff for our spring Clean Streets Program. Our focus will be on all the parks and squares in the Entertainment District - the important green spaces in the downtown core that make our community so appealing to visitors, residents and businesses alike," said Dana Duncanson, Urban Management Coordinator, Toronto Entertainment District BIA.

The TOED BIA partnered with the City of Toronto Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in 2011 to employ homeless shelter residents and help to reintroduce them to the workforce. The BIA's Clean Streets Team cleans up litter, reports problem areas on private properties, removes posters, weeds tree pits and responds to BIA member clean-up requests. It all adds up to noticeably cleaner streets, sidewalks, parking lots and laneways.

"The Clean Streets Program has produced many success stories. There have been clients who moved on to full-time jobs, settled debt and moved out of shelters and into homes. It's opportunities like this that provide these individuals with a chance to get back on their feet. It's a stepping stone," said Janet McGillen, Employability Support Team, SSHA, City of Toronto.

The BIA's Clean Streets Program has received positive feedback from the community as well as the City of Toronto, and has truly helped bridge the employment gap for its members who have gained a sense of purpose, self-esteem and empowerment. 

"We see it as a win-win situation. The team does a remarkable job at maintaining the Entertainment District. It helps create a welcoming environment that attracts people to our area and contributes to the success of businesses in the District," said Janice Solomon, Executive Director, TOED BIA.

About the Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area:
Established in 2008, TOED's mandate is to promote, improve and preserve a dynamic area of Toronto. Benefitting from economic, environmental and social factors driving downtown growth, the Entertainment District is in the midst of a renaissance, firmly establishing itself as a thriving and vibrant district for living, creating, working and entertainment. The District is generally bound by the Financial District to the East, Queen Street West to the North, Spadina Avenue to the West and Harbourfront to the South.  Visit www.torontoed.com

For more info on The Mayor's Community Clean-up:  www.toronto.ca/litter/clean-up

SOURCE: Toronto Entertainment District Business Improvement Area

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Janice Solomon, Executive Director, Toronto Entertainment District BIA 
416-926-1337 [email protected]
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