Building Community – the 2025 BQNA Annual General Meeting

Save the date! The BQNA AGM is Tuesday, November 25 – 6:30-9:00 p.m., details below.

The Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood has come a long way since the photo below was taken in the 80's. Aside from Tip Top Tailors, the Silos and the Crosse and Blackwell Building (545 Lake Shore Boulevard West) – the neighbourhood as we know it now did not exist. The streets, the homes, the parks, the school and neighbourhood centre, the 509 Streetcar and most importantly, the community were all still to come.

The Bathurst Quay neighbourhood in the 80's. Photo: The Toronto Archives

We are happy to announce that David Crombie, former Toronto Mayor, who was instrumental in setting up the Bathurst Quay neighbourhood, will be our keynote speaker at the AGM.

Tuesday November 25 – 6:30-9:00 p.m.

At the Toronto Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre in the Dance Studio

627 Queens Quay West (Queens Quay & Bathurst St.)

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Register here for the in-person and virtual meeting

(Deadline to register for a Zoom link is Sunday, November 23)

Our community is a unique mix of cooperatives, social housing and condos with wonderful local amenities. The history of how this all came about provides good lessons for the future of housing policy and community building - and as David Crombie stated to us: "I well remember the early days of the building of your community and would be pleased to engage in remembering it and talking about its relevance for future endeavours."

Additionally, Mike Labbé of Home Opportunities Non-profit and Celia Chandler, Deputy Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto to speak briefly about their work for affordable housing.

There will also be an interactive session where you can find out about all the BQNA Standing Committees and Community Liaison work that the BQNA is involved in. And we would encourage you to sign up and volunteer to help us out with some of the work. And please let us know if you have any new ideas as well!

Current BQNA standing committees:

Air Quality

Health and Safety

Encampment prevention

Noise

Communication and outreach

Community Liaison committees:

BBTCC Airport CLC

BBTCC Airport CLC Noise Subcommittee

Toronto Island Master plan implementation

545 Lakeshore Shelter CLC

Toronto Emergency Measures Task Force

Homelessness Task Force