"This simple concept has resulted in a lot of success stories for people who just needed an accessible opportunity to get started."
KEVIN LEE
Executive Director, Scadding Court Community Centre
“The street outside Scadding Court was a desolate space – an unused strip with no activity. So, we plopped down a bunch of shipping containers for small-scale businesses to set up shop at a very low cost and low risk. This simple concept has resulted in a lot of success stories for people who just needed an accessible opportunity to get started. It has rekindled street life here on Dundas, and it even brings in revenue for the Community Centre.
Today we have several community gardens, outdoor markets, food vendors, greenhouses, retailers, apprenticeship and other programs, and even a commercial-grade kitchen for affordable hourly rates. In our model, everyone gets a piece of the pie; everyone wins.
With RAC zoning coming in, there’s huge potential for these strategies to succeed in tower neighbourhoods. Entrepreneurs, charitable organizations, residents’ associations…I invite you to visit Scadding Court to see what we are up to, and visit www.scaddingcourt.org for more inspiration. Our Business Out of a Box (BOB) program might even be able to help you start your own success story!”