Things have gotten tougher lately—the Yonge + St. Clair BIA knows these aren’t just news headlines, they’re real issues affecting your shops and offices, your staff, and the community we all care about.

But here’s what we also know: resilience is woven into the fabric of small and commercial Canadian businesses. And with so much uncertainty at our doorstep, we’re focusing on what we can control: powering up our homegrown, neighbourhood economy by connecting your Canadian products, services, and expertise directly to the neighbors who need and value them most, while also uniting local businesses with domestic resources to keep growth rooted here.

Together we can build a community that’s both locally rooted and nationally strong 🍁

On this page, you’ll find timely resources gathered by the Yonge + St. Clair BIA to support your ongoing business efforts.

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Have Your Say: Tariff Impact Surveys

The US-Canada tariffs remind us how quickly the business landscape can shift. And although we’re determined to turn these challenges into opportunities for Yonge + St. Clair businesses, we can’t do it without your feedback.

Right now, the City of Toronto, Yonge + St. Clair BIA and Canadian Urban Institute need your feedback now to start accurately addressing your business concerns, resulting in the types of support required to future-proof your business and our communities.

Your feedback will directly inform the creation of:

+ City of Toronto led purchasing and support programs for local businesses

+ Hyper-local Yonge and St. Clair programs to amplify your business efforts

+ Broader advocacy and campaigning by the Canadian Urban Institute to all levels of government

This is in addition to Provincial and Federal aid programs which are currently being planned, more announcements to come.

You can complete the surveys using the links below 📝:

1. City of Toronto Tariff Impacts Survey (5 Minutes)

2. Yonge + St. Clair BIA Tariff Impacts Survey (4 Minutes)

3. Canadian Urban Institute Tariff Impacts Survey (4 Minutes)

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City of Toronto Economic Response Resource Page

The City of Toronto aims to create and gather domestic resources that businesses can use to strengthen their self-sufficiency in response to US-Canada tariffs.

The City of Toronto is taking strong action to mitigate the effects of tariffs and strengthen local economic resilience, including:

+ Convening business and labour leaders to advise on the City’s response

+ Establishing a U.S. Engagement Secretariat within City Hall

+ Actively monitoring tariffs and implementing an action plan that includes enhanced local procurement to minimize disruptions

+ Gathering input from local businesses to understand how tariffs are affecting them.

Review and bookmark the City of Toronto’s economic response webpage, which contains ongoing updates and resources for all business types, including information on impacted sectors:

1. City of Toronto: Economic Response Webpage

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A Practical Guide for Small and Medium Businesses: Responding to Tariffs

To support businesses, particularly SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), The Toronto Board of Trade compiled key resources, expert insights, and practical tools to help mitigate the impact and identify strategic opportunities.

This playbook is your concise, actionable guide to navigating this turbulent period. It’s designed specifically for Canadian SMEs who need immediate, low-cost strategies to mitigate the impact of these tariffs and emerge stronger. Split into five modules, the playbook covers:

Protecting Cash Flow
Adjusting Costs/Pricing
Diversifying Suppliers
Adopting Lean Methods
Optimizing Payments

Download the full playbook (PDF) here: PDF Download

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You can email info@yongestclair.ca with any ideas, questions or concerns not covered on this resource page. Together we can build a community that’s both locally rooted and nationally strong 🍁