Canvassing businesses along Yonge Street impacted by future Yonge Rerouting

Last week, I canvassed local businesses along Yonge Street with Metrolinx staff to discuss the upcoming road closures and rerouting of Yonge Street associated with the Yonge North Subway Extension project.

Starting at Otonabee Avenue, we visited local businesses to provide information about the upcoming Yonge Street closure, answer questions, and ensure business owners were aware of the Metrolinx Business Support Program, including the opportunity for eligible businesses to seek compensation for revenue losses resulting from construction impacts.  

During my visit to Adele Hair and Beauty, the owner was near tears hearing about their future loss of frontage on Yonge Street and road closures. The business had previously been displaced from 6985 Yonge Street to make way for the construction of the future Steeles Subway Station and had already faced the challenges of relocation. Understandably, the owner expressed concerns about the potential impact that another major construction phase could have on their business. Metrolinx staff are committed to following up directly with the owner to discuss their specific circumstances, including potential revenue losses, and to continue working with the business throughout the construction period.

During my discussions with Metrolinx, I also suggested additional measures to better support local businesses. One idea was to install construction hoarding featuring a mirror image of the businesses on the east side of Yonge that will be losing their Yonge Street frontage, so people can still experience driving by those businesses, along with clear wayfinding signage to help pedestrians and customers easily locate and continue supporting these businesses during construction. 

The other challenge for businesses in this area is the language barrier when communicating with Metrolinx. Having my two staff members who speak Farsi and Korean, along with myself to communicate in Chinese, was definitely helpful in ensuring that business owners could better understand the information being shared and have their questions addressed. 

I have asked Metrolinx to make their communications and business support information accessible in these languages, as well as other commonly spoken languages in the area, to ensure that all businesses have equal access to important updates, resources, and support throughout the construction period.