A CITY STALLED

In a time when the streets of Toronto turned from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, one filled with liveliness and enthusiasm, to a scene of emptiness devoid of the usual day-to-day excitement, our City was in desperate need of invigoration.

The age of COVID-19 brought challenges that were unimaginable to the function of our cities and the lives of those that call them home. In Toronto specifically, subways that were once filled like sardine cans were left desolate, streets became boarded up with foreclosures and the diversity and life once felt within the City, were extinguished with the swift presence of fear, loss and uncertainty that overwhelmed its streets and people.

One of the hardest hit industries of them all, the restaurant industry, felt these impacts tenfold—with a third of Toronto’s restaurants falling victim to the economic challenges of the pandemic. In a time of strife, gloom and lifelessness, Toronto was in desperate need of positive change that would reignite its spirits and bring the City back to life.