Where is the BIA office?
1166 Dundas St. W. upper level, just west of Ossington
Directions
Where can I find grants to support my business?
Check BIA archived newsletters
What is a BIA?
A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is made up of commercial and industrial property owners and their non-residential tenants who join together under a volunteer Board of Management (BIA Board) to carry out improvements and promote economic development within their designated area.
There are currently 83 BIAs in the City of Toronto. They work in partnership with the City to enhance and promote business areas as safe, vibrant places to do business, unique destinations for tourists and focal points for neighbourhood activity.
Why was the name of the BIA changed?
We are an amalgamation of two former BIAs: Dundas West BIA and Little Portugal BIA. These communities have been working in tandem for decades, and as of 2020 we became one BIA under the name ‘Little Portugal on Dundas BIA’.
Since our amalgamation- light has been shed on the fact that the namesake for Dundas Street (Henry Dundas) was an 18th-century politician who delayed Britain’s abolition of slavery by 15 years. He also aided in the continued subjugation of Indigenous peoples in Canada in his role as British Home Secretary. Although the city of Toronto is still in the process of deciding the new street name, we feel it is exceptionally important to accurately display our values as a BIA, by removing the ‘Dundas’ from our BIA promptly.
This change is significant to us as it marks a new chapter for the neighbourhood, of combined efforts in improving the area with business and true community spirit in mind.
What’s going on with the name for Dundas Street?
The city is currently deliberating and we should have more info in February.
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How will the renaming of Dundas affect my business?
Once the new street name is announced and is officially changed you may need to update anything listing your address, including: signage, stationery, your google business account, and any other social profiles. We will let our members know about any support/ grants in place from the city via our newsletter → sign up here.