Toronto is Enacting Bylaws to Make Nightlife “Not Concentrated” Downtown

Toronto’s new bylaws will also prevent nightclubs from opening anywhere other than the first floors and basements of commercial buildings.

As of right now, much of Toronto nightlife is confined to the downtown area. Come January 1, lawmakers will enact bylaws for establishments like bars and restaurants intended to distribute them more evenly throughout the city.

“The Entertainment District, we’re expanding that as we’re looking for more uses throughout the city so that they’re not concentrated,” said Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards Executive Director Carleton Grant, according to CityNews. The decision to allow nightclubs to operate “almost anywhere in the city” resulted from a 2023 Night Economy Review that followed consultations with entertainment industry stakeholders.

The changes enacted will also increase the maximum floor area Toronto bars and restaurants can use to entertain guests.

Not all of the new bylaws will be more laissez faire than they were before. In the new year, nightclubs will only be allowed to operate in commercially zoned buildings that are home to no other such establishments. They can also only occupy the basements or first floors of these buildings.

The bylaws also clarify criteria for various business types, consolidating them and naming new ones. A number of existing bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues may need to transition to a different license type as a result of the changes.

In January, Toronto held its first-ever town hall meeting devoted to the night economy. “One of the problems is that there isn’t enough nighttime activity or vibrancy outside the core,” said Toronto Film Commissioner and Director of Entertainment Industries Marguerite Piggot at the time. “We heard a lot about that.”

Nightlife industry stakeholders are still pushing for the City of Toronto to extend closing times past 2am, arguing that such a change could generate billions of dollars of revenue. Lawmakers have yet to entertain such legislation at the time of writing.