Our History

Sheppard East Village Business Improvement Area is a non-profit organization that promotes all the businesses on or near Sheppard Avenue East – between Midland Avenue and Markham Road.

Sheppard East Village is close to Highway 401; it has wide and accessible roads; it has good TTC bus service on 5 major streets (Midland, Brimley, McCowan and Markham, as well as Sheppard); it offers lots of free parking; and it is a safe and clean area where over 500 local businesses provide a range of goods and services at various price points.

In spite of these positive attributes, the area and its businesses were not widely-known and therefore not attracting as many customers as some other shopping districts. In 2006, a City poll determined that a majority of commercial property and business owners in the area were in favour of forming a new BIA. Since BIA expenditures are financed almost entirely by members, this was a meaningful conclusion to the efforts of business owners and managers who had come together to promote the area.

At its founding Annual General Meeting, local business owners endorsed a list of individuals willing to serve as the first Board of Management. A budget and plan for its first year of operations were passed – formally approved when City Council authorized formation of Sheppard East Village BIA (SEV BIA) in February of 2007.

In its first year, SEV BIA completed a strategic plan, a branding plan and a streetscape plan - all of which were designed to guide its planning, activities and expenditures for the next 5 to 10 years. Banners went up on Hydro poles. Stickers appeared in the windows of businesses along Sheppard Avenue. Other promotions were being planned.

In January of 2008, TTC Chair Adam Giambrone told the SEV BIA Board that the first of their Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines would be built on Sheppard Avenue – starting in 2009. SEV BIA has been actively focused on issues related to the LRT ever since.

SEV BIA is working with TTC officials – to ensure that LRT construction causes the minimum disruption in our area. We are working with our members, to help them cope with lost revenues when LRT construction is near their locations. We are also actively involved in planning how the street will look, when LRT service is functioning and our area is accessible to more shoppers and visitors from the rest of Toronto.

We hope that TTC officials achieve their stated goal of 'getting it right'. While there will be some inevitable disruption during LRT construction, TTC officials have assured us that access to all businesses in SEV BIA will be maintained and a reasonable flow of traffic will be provided - throughout the LRT construction process.

As a service to our members, customers and those living in nearby residential areas, this website will include LRT construction information SEV BIA obtains from the TTC.