Item - 2024.TE13.35

The Toronto and East York Community Council:

1. Approved the temporary closure to vehicular traffic of Barbara Barrett Lane, between David French Lane to Brunswick Avenue, from Tuesday, July 2, 2024 to Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in order to facilitate the Toronto Fringe Festival.

The Toronto Fringe Festival marks its 36th year of operation this summer. Transportation Services has closed laneways in the past for the Toronto Fringe Festival, and again this year, the festival is collaborating with The TRANZAC at 292 Brunswick Avenue to bring an outdoor patio with exciting programming experiences. The event organizer is requesting to temporarily close Barbara Barrett Lane, between David French Lane to Brunswick Avenue, from Tuesday, July 2, 2024 to Tuesday, July 16, 2024 in order to accommodate their programming. The purpose of the proposed closure is to facilitate a festival hub and will include food and drink service, artisan vendors, and the festival box office.

The Toronto Fringe Festival is the most accessible arts event in the city, presenting 77 theatrical shows at 16 venues across the city from July 3-14, 2024. Fringe has premiered some of Canada's most successful productions including Kim's Convenience, My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, 'Da Kink In My Hair, The Drowsy Chaperone, and Mump and Smoot. All Fringe Festivals in Canada are mandated to choose their participants by lottery and return 100% of the box office revenues to the artist in the festival, which has seen a return of over $6.5 million over the past three decades to artists from across the country. It is one of the longest-running City-supported events and has received municipal endorsement each year for over a decade.

Municipal Code Chapter 937-3 authorizes the General Manager of Transportation Services to temporarily close to vehicular traffic any portion of a road for a period of not more than four consecutive days for social, recreational, community, athletic or cinematographic purposes. This proposed closure will be in effect for more than 4 days and, therefore, requires Community Council approval. There will be no amplified noise outdoors after 11:00 p.m. The Toronto Fringe was granted the same street event closure permit in both July 2022 and July 2023, and received no noise or other complaints.