We’ve protected vital arts, culture and community space at Youngplace!
Today, I was so happy to join Mayor Olivia Chow and the incredible arts, culture, and community organizations that call Youngplace home to share really exciting news that keeps beloved non-profit organizations in our community at Youngplace:
- Working together, we helped 5 organizations purchase their units that were put at risk by the Artscape receivership process
- Completed the first acquisition by a cultural land trust in Canada for 2 units, through partnership between Inspirit Foundation and the Community & Cultural Spaces Trust
Last summer, I was proud to move over $1.2 million dollars of local Section 37 money to contribute to these purchases.
I want to say a huge thank you to City staff, all of the organizations, Inspirit Foundation, and the Community and Cultural Spaces Trust who through a lot of hard work, partnership, and creative thinking made this all possible!
Keep reading to learn more.
Creating security through ownership for our local organizations
When tenants of Youngplace discovered that their units were at risk, they got together and organized. They worked to identify funding sources, fundraised, connected with community members, and exercised extraordinary patience in this process.
One of their first calls was to my office at City Hall. And over the course of many months and many more conversations, we shared information, did a lot of calculations, and found ways to secure funding, to ensure artists have stability and neighbourhood services remain vibrant and accessible for years to come.
I worked with Economic and Community Development staff to move arts-focused Section 37 money from Ward 10 and $250 000 from Toronto’s Children’s Services to support these purchases. Through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, the Government of Canada also invested more than $2.6 million.
With this money and fundraising from the organizations, I am proud to share that the following organizations now own their units in Youngplace and will be staying in our community for the longterm!
A huge thank you and congratulations to these new owners whose vision and dedication to culture and community have truly made this a special place for our neighbourhood!
Protecting affordable rental for the arts and culture sector through the Community and Cultural Spaces Trust
My team and I also worked closely with Inspirit Foundation, to help purchase two units that long-term tenants wanted to stay in.
Now, through a unique partnership with the Community and Cultural Spaces Trust, they are preserving these units as affordable cultural spaces permanently. This is the first acquisition by a cultural land trust in Canada!
This means that both Paperhouse Studio and Toronto Potters Collective will continue to call Youngplace home. And it is a shining example of new ways to preserve our hugely important arts and cultural spaces, across our city, province, and country.
The fight to protect arts and culture space in Toronto
The City of Toronto has always recognized the importance of arts, culture and community spaces. Our city is a hub for creativity, innovation, and diversity, and our arts and culture sector plays a crucial role in shaping our identity, creating meaningful work, and as an economic driver.
We know it is the artists, culture makers and community builders who make it possible.
We also know the very real funding pressures that arts and culture organizations are under. And, that once space for arts and culture organizations is lost, it’s hard to get it back.
In early 2024, properties formerly managed by Artscape entered receivership, placing 390 tenancies and workspaces at risk. Working in partnership with artists, the City took early action and successfully argued in court to exclude 91 per cent of Artscape’s tenancies from the receivership process. Since then, the City has protected the remaining nine per cent, ensuring that all tenants and residents can remain in their homes and workspaces.
Throughout the process, Toronto City Council has advocated for local artists and their families. Following Artscape’s insolvency, the City stepped in immediately to fund property management services across Artscape’s 14 buildings and helped establish ArtHubs, a new not-for-profit organization that now manages key community cultural hubs that were previously operated by Artscape including Daniels Spectrum, Gibraltar Point and Wychwood Barns.
The City continues to invest in both arts and affordable housing, reinforcing its commitment to supporting Toronto’s arts community while preserving affordable housing options for Torontonians.
This initiative aligns with Culture Connects: Toronto’s New Action Plan for Culture, which aims to strengthen the city’s cultural sector and support creative spaces.
