REGISTER YOUR RESTAURANT FOR DineOutTO

To both celebrate and support Toronto's culinary community, Destination Toronto has partnered with the City of Toronto for a first of its kind culinary promotion - DineOutTO.

This city-wide promotion will showcase Toronto’s diverse culinary scene through a digital platform offering content, special offers and unique culinary experiences from September 23 to October 30. 

DineOutTO is free to participate in. If you're a Toronto restaurant, we're inviting you to register today! 

Here's how you can take part: 

Your business can choose to participate in three different ways:

1. A Special Offer - Present a special offer or value-add. For example, a complimentary appetizer, percentage off total bill, bonus item, or kids eat free.
   
   
2. A Signature Dish - Show off your special signature dish, cocktail, or a ‘must-try’ item on your menu. This category is for those customers who need a little inspiration or are looking to try the best of what our food scene has to offer.
   
   
3. A Culinary Experience - Include a special experience unique to your restaurant during the promotion such as a seasonal prix-fixe menu, reservation at the chef’s table, or unique wine pairings. 
   

Restaurants that are members of Destination Toronto or those that registered for ToGoToronto can follow the below instructions:

• Log-in to Destination Toronto’s Partner Log-in page
• Follow these directions to submit your offer, your signature dish or your culinary experience

Restaurants that are new to Destination Toronto can take part here. 

We can't wait to bring this new initiative to locals and we can continue down the road to recovery and reopening during a tremendously challenging time. 

We'll have more information about the launch and activation of DineOutTO in the coming weeks. 

CITY OF TORONTO LAUNCHES ShowLoveTO:
SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR TORONTO

This week, Mayor John Tory and Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson launched ShowLoveTO in association with Founding Sponsor American Express and in partnership with Destination Toronto, to encourage local tourism and foster community engagement and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

ShowLoveTO is a local initiative that will encourage residents to show their love for Toronto by safely connecting with neighbours, supporting local businesses and artists, and exploring their city neighbourhoods to help rebuild the social and economic fabric of Toronto.

Launching with a series of City-led events, ShowLoveTO will also embrace and include events from organizations throughout the city offering a series of experiences that welcome Torontonians back to their city. Initiatives will be delivered with guidance from Toronto Public Health to provide a safer environment for participants.

The following ShowLoveTO initiatives will engage Toronto residents this fall including the above announced DineOutTO program, as well as ActiveTO, CafeTO, HistoricTO, StrollTO and BigArtTO. 

You can read the official announcement here. 

You can also join the campaign using the #ShowLoveTO hashtag and sharing the above video on your social channels. 

NEW TORONTO SIGN UNVEILED

Today, Mayor John Tory unveiled the City of Toronto’s new Toronto Sign on Nathan Phillips Square that now includes a new design feature - a vinyl wrap on the outer edges of its letters. The design of the Toronto Sign wrap is used to promote events, projects and City priorities.

The first new Toronto Sign wrap is called Patterns of the People, in recognition of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent. Patterns of the People will remain on the Toronto Sign for ArtworxTO 2021: The City’s Year of Public Art.

The original Toronto Sign was installed in 2015 for the Toronto Pan American and Parapan American Games. While it was only built to last a few weeks, in response to the sign’s popularity, the City extended its presence on the Square indefinitely and it has gone on to become a Toronto landmark.

After more than five years, the original sign was showing significant wear and tear. The City decided to build a more durable sign rather than continue with costly, ongoing repairs. The new Toronto Sign is easier to clean, waterproof, and will have enhanced lighting and creative features to support public engagement. Both the Maple Leaf and Medicine Wheel have been retained. 

Photographs of the Toronto Sign can be shared with the hashtag #xoTO and #TOsign. 

SOCIAL SERIES:
FEATURING TIFF, THE BROADVIEW HOTEL, AND CLUNY BISTRO

ONTARIO LOWERS LIMITS FOR UNMONITORED AND PRIVATE SOCIAL GATHERINGS IN TORONTO, OTTAWA AND PEEL 

The Ontario government has set a new limit reducing the number of people allowed to attend unmonitored social gatherings and organized public events in Ottawa, Peel and Toronto. This includes functions, parties, dinners, gatherings, BBQs or wedding receptions held in private residences, backyards, parks and other recreational areas.

The new limit, which is now enforced, limits indoor events or gatherings to 10 people (previously 50); and outdoor events or gatherings to 25  (previously 100).

The new limits will not apply to events or gatherings held in staffed businesses and facilities including bars, restaurants, movie theatres, convention centres or banquet halls, gyms, and recreational sporting or performing art events. Existing rules, including public health and workplace safety measures, for these businesses and facilities are still in effect. 

Ontario also introduced the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, which will  freeze annual rent increases from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2021 for residents and businesses.

INDUSTRY NEWS

At this time of year, the theatre, dance and opera sector would typically be celebrating the launch of the 2020-21 season. Instead the industry continues to feel the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join TAPA for the #iMissLiveTheatreTO campaign: The impact of the pandemic on Toronto's theatre community is 25,000 cancelled or postponed public performances, $500 million lost ticket sales and 20 million lost audience members. To raise awareness of the effect of the pandemic on the theatre, dance and opera community in Toronto, TAPA is inviting audiences to join artists in celebrating our vibrant cultural landscape with the #iLoveTheatreTO campaign starting Monday. 

TSO at the Drive-In: The TSO is back! Experience the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in an entirely new way—live from the comfort of your own car—with the TSO at the Drive-In series! This October, the TSO is presenting three hour-long, crowd-pleasing, and contactless programs, performed live by smaller ensembles at CityView Drive-In, located at 20 Polson St.

TIFF wows with Visa Skyline Drive-In: The Toronto International Film Festival looks different this year. But there are still plenty of buzzed-about films being released, many of which you can catch at the reimagined Visa Skyline Drive-In at CityView—making for a much different, but for most of us, a long-awaited night out at the Festival. The unique drive-in at the Visa Skyline Drive-In delivers on moviegoers’ expectations of having an exclusive experience

Toronto looking to host public consultations to replace Dundas Street name: A City of Toronto staff report going before Executive Committee on September 23 provides recommendations, which includes a public consultation, on the City’s response to the petition to rename Dundas Street and address other civic assets with the Dundas name. The petition was created following global discussions on racial injustices, inequality and anti-Black racism, which led the public to scrutinize the origins and history of monuments, street names, parks and buildings across Toronto.