| 145199 | REPORT | N | N | MAIN | ACTION | AMENDED | N | Toronto's Screen Future: A Strategic Plan for Continued Growth 2025-2030 | 2026.EC26.1 | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>Toronto's film and television production industry is highly valuable to the city, producing an annual direct spend as high as $2.6 billion and supporting a skilled workforce of 40,000. The City has a legacy of strategic investments in Toronto's film industry over decades to achieve this success. Today, the result is that Toronto is one of the top five largest production hubs in North America, defined by world-leading talent servicing almost 3 million square feet of studio space. Toronto’s industry is globally competitive, with local talent winning Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, and Canadian Screen Awards for work done here. This strength is the product of decades of investment and strategic support from the City of Toronto, other orders of government, domestic and international partners, and Toronto’s film and television workers themselves.</p>
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<p>Building on these strong fundamentals, Toronto’s film industry is currently navigating a period of rapid change. Jurisdictions in the United States and around the world are increasingly competing for production investment through enhanced tax credits, expanded studio infrastructure, and other supports, which requires a coordinated and competitive response to protect Toronto’s market share. The risk is compounded by recent efforts by the U.S. administration to retain American film and television production domestically and by growing trade-related uncertainty. As U.S. producers account for a majority of film production in Toronto, the City must continue to promote the local industry to U.S. producers while also growing domestic production through increased co-production investment by other international partners.</p>
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<p>The sector also faces capital-specific challenges that constrain long-term growth. The development of new and expanded studio space has become increasingly difficult due to high land costs, global construction inflation, and tariffs on imported building materials, alongside broader economic uncertainty and shifting international trade conditions that have slowed new investment. To address these constraints and capitalize on future opportunities, the City is pursuing measures to enable a more film-friendly infrastructure and environment, such as stronger planning tools to protect and</p>
<p>expand core employment areas, streamlining regulatory processes to support film-friendly uses, and collaborating with industry to identify strategically located lands for future studio and production infrastructure development.</p>
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<p>Evolving technologies, new distribution models, and global audience growth also present significant opportunities for Toronto to further strengthen its position as a leading screen hub. These technologies are rapidly accelerating, creating opportunities for innovation in production, post-production, and visual effects while carrying risks that require an informed, ethical, and inclusive approach. While current market conditions reflect a period of adjustment following the pandemic, recent labour disruptions, and trade-related uncertainty, these are understood as temporary market adjustments rather than permanent shifts. In this context, the City’s focus is on future-looking actions that avoid short-term, reactive decisions and instead build out a resilient, film-friendly city that is well positioned for renewed growth as conditions stabilize.</p>
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<p>To protect and grow Toronto's industry, a new five-year Strategic Plan for the film industry is needed in alignment with priorities identified in various Council-adopted City strategies, including, but not limited to:</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>- Sidewalks to Skylines: An Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy</em>, which calls to grow Toronto’s global competitiveness in key anchor and high-productivity sectors, highlighting creative industries such as film;</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>- Mayor’s Economic Action Plan in Response to United States Tariffs</em>, which notes the need to ‘support tariff-resilient sectors able to drive long-term economic growth and job creation’, foregrounding creative industries within this group; and</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>- Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto</em>, which notes the need for sector-specific strategies for shaping new policies, programs, and investments in growing industries including film, music, public art, the visitor economy, and esports.</p>
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<p>This report presents <em>Toronto’s Screen Future: A Strategic Plan for Continued Growth 2025-2030</em>, the new Film Strategic Plan for the City of Toronto. The Strategic Plan—which includes 13 actions, with metrics, across four strategic priorities—was developed through extensive engagement, and research and analysis on the current state of the film industry and the key factors to maintain Toronto’s global competitiveness.</p>
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<p>It sets out a high-level roadmap to expand studio and production capacity, workforce development, incentives, sustainability, and client outreach to meet growing demand and defend and grow Toronto’s market share. It also aims to increase targeted support for the domestic production sector to diversify and stabilize the industry and to strengthen the City’s operating conditions so that the Film Office can move at the speed of industry, securing long-term investment, quality jobs, and broad community benefits. Together, priorities and actions are intended to ensure that Toronto remains one of the world’s leading and most film-friendly production centres through 2030 and beyond.</p> | 26 | 1 | CMMTTEE | EC | All | N | 1774411200000 | … | Report | ACTION | Amended | Main | Committee | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | ACTION | true | Amended | — | — |
| 145240 | LETTER | N | N | MAIN | ACTION | NO_ACTN | N | Advancing Toronto's Screen Future: Key Findings for a Strategic Vision | 2026.EC26.1a | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>At its meeting on September 15, 2025, Film, Television and Digital Media Advisory Board considered Item <a href="https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2025.FB8.1">FB8.1</a> and made recommendations to the Economic and Community Development Committee.</p>
<p> <br />Summary from the report (September 15, 2025) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture:<br /> <br />The film and television industry is a key economic and cultural driver, producing an annual direct spend as high as $2.6 billion and meaningfully contributing to Toronto's cultural vibrancy. As the Economic Development and Culture Division develops a five-year Film Strategy in alignment with the priorities identified in both Sidewalks to Skylines: An Action Plan for Toronto's Economy and Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto, it retained the services of Olsberg SPI Ltd., to ensure an informed approach based on the current industry and economic landscape. This report includes their key findings, based on comprehensive research, an analysis of the current state of film production in Toronto, and extensive engagement – including 7 roundtables with 43 stakeholders, 25 one-on-one consultations with senior executives, and a sector-wide survey that reached 200 industry professionals.</p>
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<p>The City acknowledges receipt of Olsberg SPI Ltd.'s report and the significant amount of research and insight from subject matter experts and industry leaders reflected in the report. This report was commissioned in order to inform Toronto's Film Strategy. The report is included as Attachment 1.</p>
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<p>Marguerite Pigott, Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries, Economic Development and Culture Division, City of Toronto will give a presentation on Film Strategy Recommendations.</p>
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<p>The presentation will cover recommendations to support Toronto’s Film Sector from Toronto’s Screen Future – A Strategic Framework for Continued Growth 2025-2030, for discussion by the Film Board.</p> |
| 145298 | REPORT | N | N | MAIN | ACTION | AMENDED | N | Toronto's Festival Strategy | 2026.EC26.2 | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>The Toronto's Festival Strategy (2026-2031) aims to ensure that Torontonians can access free, inclusive and diverse cultural experiences in their neighbourhoods and that Toronto’s festival sector is better supported as they continue to strengthen community belonging, enliven main streets, and contribute to the city's global competitiveness. Toronto hosts approximately 300 festivals and they are a critical cultural and economic force that contributes to the vibrancy of the city. It is estimated that as a sector, festivals and events generate more than $1 billion in GDP across Canada.[1] Toronto's Festival Strategy builds on the strengths of the festival sector while addressing key challenges experienced in recent years and proposing opportunities for adaptation, resiliency and growth.</p>
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<p>The Festival Strategy will advance Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto, which made immediate investments into festivals and identified them as a vital way that Torontonians experience culture. This strategy builds on a strong foundation, informed by additional engagement and research by OCAD University's Cultural Policy Hub (Attachment 2) to address key challenges facing Toronto's festival sector. This report outlines the need for this strategy, the role of the City in supporting festivals, the engagement and research undertaken as well as the vision, priorities, notable actions and next steps.</p>
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<p>The Festival Strategy, included as Attachment 1, provides 17 actions grouped into four strategic priorities: Sector Development; Sector Sustainability and Resilience; Improving Processes; and Awareness and Impact. Each action has associated performance measures to help ensure success in achieving the strategy's vision. Toronto’s Festival Strategy will serve as an important framework to guide the City’s actions in supporting the festival sector over the next 5 years, ensuring that Torontonians can continue to access meaningful local cultural experiences and contributing to the city's global competitiveness in attracting visitors.</p> |
| 145136 | REPORT | N | N | MAIN | ACTION | ADOPTED | N | Changes to Business Improvement Area Boards of Management | 2026.EC26.3 | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>The purpose of this report is to make changes to the Fairbank Village, Mount Pleasant and Upper Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) Boards of Management, in accordance with the requirements of the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas. Fairbank Village, Mount Pleasant and Upper Village Business Improvement Areas fall within two Community Council boundaries.</p> | 26 | 3 | CMMTTEE | EC | 8 - Eglinton - Lawrence, 9 - Davenport, 12 - Toronto - St. Paul's, 15 - Don Valley West | N | 1774411200000 | … | Report | ACTION | Adopted | Main | Committee | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| 145188 | LETTER | N | N | MAIN | ACTION | ADOPTED | N | Consumer Protection, Ticket Price “Gouging” and Booking Accommodation Hidden Fees | 2026.EC26.4 | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>I am writing to request that staff report back to the Economic Development Committee on consumer protections in relation to banning ticket price “gouging” sporting and entertainment events as well as hidden fees for people booking accommodations in the City of Toronto.</p>
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<p>Specifically, I am requesting that staff report back providing an overview addressing the following questions:</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Does the City currently have any policies, bylaws, or regulatory authorities in place related to ticket price gouging for sporting and entertainment events as well as booking accommodation hidden fees added to advertised prices.</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Is there evidence that these practices are occurring within the city, and if so, to what extent are they impacting consumers.</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Are these issues being raised through complaints, 311 inquiries, or other enforcement or consumer protection channels.</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- What, if any, jurisdictional limitations exist, and are there opportunities for the municipal action, advocacy, or coordination with other orders of government.</p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Does the Province of Ontario have policies, bylaws, or regulatory authorities in place related to ticket price gouging and hotel hidden fees added to advertised prices.</p>
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<p>A report back on whether these issues are present, their scale, and potential policy or advocacy options would assist the Committee in determining next steps.</p>
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<p>Thank you for your attention to this matter. Please feel free to contact me should you require any further clarification.</p> |
| 145378 | LETTER | N | N | NEW | ACTION | ADOPTED | N | Opportunities for Performing Arts Infrastructure in Scarborough | 2026.EC26.5 | Y | Y | Y | Y | <p>The City of Toronto approved Culture Connects: An Action Plan for Culture in Toronto, the City’s 10-year culture plan adopted by Council in November 2024 and this was a step in the right direction. Advancing a feasibility study to establish a Centre for Performing Arts in Scarborough aligns with a key priority of Culture Connects: Culture Everywhere, which speaks to the establishment of new cultural spaces across all of the city of Toronto. Identifying this vital piece of cultural infrastructure can help lead to opportunities for local artists, enriching community life and ensuring cultural programming reaches all corners of our city. There is data to support the lack of public spaces to play, learn and share in Scarborough and with this recommendation Council can start to ameliorate this condition.</p> | 26 | 5 | CMMTTEE | EC | All | N | — | … | Letter | ACTION | Adopted | New | Committee | … | … |