Item - 2026.MM43.3

Councillor Dianne Saxe, seconded by Councillor Josh Matlow, recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the community, to evaluate the property at 431 College Street for designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act and to report back to the Toronto Preservation Board, to the Planning and Housing Committee and to Council in the first quarter of 2027.

Sneaky Dee’s is a historically and culturally significant music venue at 431 College Street. For generations, it has been a launching pad for local artists, a gathering place for friends and neighbours, and an important piece of Toronto's cultural identity. It is one of those places that gives our city its character.

On Friday, July 3, 2026, the applicant withdrew a redevelopment application (TE34.23) that would have demolished Sneaky Dee’s. This threat mobilized thousands of people across Toronto and beyond to Save Sneaky Dee’s. Residents organized. Musicians spoke out. Neighbours filled meetings, signed petitions, shared ideas, and refused to accept that one of Toronto's most beloved cultural institutions should disappear into yet another condo without exhausting every possible option. For everyone who has ever discovered a new band at Sneaky Dee’s, fallen in love, celebrated with friends over a plate of nachos, or simply believes Toronto should protect the places that make our city unique, this reprieve is worth celebrating.

This reprieve also gives the City a fresh opportunity to evaluate Sneaky Dee’s potential for a heritage designation. Dedicated volunteers have already begun to assemble supporting evidence.