The Cabbagetown BIA
A unified voice for Cabbagetown businesses.
The Cabbagetown Business Improvement Area (BIA) is a not-for-profit community agency, formed and funded by local commercial property owners and tenants. As one of Toronto’s oldest BIAs, we work in partnership with residents, community groups and organizations, other BIA’s, and all three levels of the government to create a vibrant and thriving business community that attracts shoppers, diners, tourists, and new business.
We act as a unified voice for Cabbagetown businesses and assist business owners with marketing, applying for City grants and permits, and with accessing supports and resources. We also plan events and initiatives with the goal of engaging our community and attracting visitors and locals to shop, eat, and explore Cabbagetown. We’re always looking for new and better ways to serve our businesses and build a sense of community.
We are run by an elected Board of Management and serve businesses along Carlton St and Gerrard St, from Sherbourne to Parliament, along Parliament from Wellesley to Gerrard, and a small enclave of businesses in St. James Town. To view the map of our catchment area, click the button below.
Cabbagetown is a vibrant community with a rich history.
In the 1840s, the neighbourhood became home to the many Irish immigrants fleeing famine in Ireland, and the area earned its name for the cabbages and other vegetables that the poor residents would grow in their front yards.
Cabbagetown has changed much since then and has embraced the term that was once used derisively as a reminder of our immigrant roots.
The Cabbagetown BIA was formed on December 3, 1981, primarily to put on the Cabbagetown Festival. Our mandate has expanded considerably in the past 40+ years as we hosted a variety of events, invest in the development of our streetscapes and public realm, and advocate on behalf of our small business community.
Join the BIA Board
Governed under Chapter 19 of the City of Toronto Municipal Code and The Cabbagetown BIA by-laws, The Cabbagetown BIA Board of Management comprises up to twelve (12) directors and one (1) City Councillor.
We welcome BIA business and property owners who are committed to building this business community and furthering its reputation to consider joining the Board of Management as a director. Those interested in being considered can find more information here.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the area we refer to as Cabbagetown today lies on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. We also acknowledge that this land is covered by Treaty No. 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
We recognize that indigenous peoples inhabited these lands long before colonization and little of this history is known, told, or honoured. We are committed to learning more and bringing light to the past and present contributions and the connections indigenous peoples have to this land.