Billed as an event to promote food, culture and community, the sudden cancellation of the Taste of Little Jamaica festival is underscoring lingering issues for business owners in the prominent Toronto neighbourhood.
Organizers of the event, which was scheduled to take place on July 18 and set to be held on Eglinton Avenue West between Oakwood and Glenholme avenues, said the decision to cancel it was made after “careful consideration.”
A social media post said the cancellation came after months of planning and working through the City of Toronto permitting process.
“While every effort was made to move the event forward, we were ultimately unable to secure all of the approvals required to proceed this year,” the post said as it went on to thank various stakeholders.
“Although we are deeply disappointed, we respect the City’s permitting process and appreciate the time and collaboration of everyone involved.
“While this year’s event will not move forward as planned, our commitment to celebrating and uplifting the Little Jamaica community remains strong. We look forward to bringing this vision to life in 2027.”
The post didn’t specify the exact permitting issues organizers faced nor did it elaborate on what else was outstanding for them to get the event ready for July 18.
CityNews contacted the City of Toronto to ask about the announcement related to the Taste of Little Jamaica festival. In a statement Monday afternoon, a spokesperson said the municipality is responding.
“City of Toronto staff, Taste of Little Jamaica organizers and the Little Jamaica BIA (business improvement area) will reconvene in September to begin planning early for next year. The Little Jamaica Festival is also scheduled to make its comeback in July 2027,” economic development and culture general manager Pat Tobin wrote.
Tobin encouraged visitors to attend other events, such as a new Afro-Caribbean Farmers’ Market outside Fairbank station on Sundays as well as the Deh’ya: Rave Yaad block party on Friday and night markets on July 25, Aug. 29 and Sept. 26.
This isn’t the first time in recent memory where larger-scale special events have been cancelled in Little Jamaica. In 2025, the Little Jamaica Festival hosted by the local BIA was scrapped days before it was set to take place due to funding constraints and permit issues.
Carole Rose is the decades-long owner of Rap’s on Eglinton Avenue West east of Oakwood Avenue, which prides itself on its jerk chicken, fried chicken, oxtail and goat. She said she wasn’t aware of the event.
“Rap’s as a whole is overlooked when it comes to things like festivals or whatever is going on the Eglinton strip. We are always the last to know,” Rose told CityNews.
Like so many other business owners and operators, Rose hoped to see a large uptick in patronage when the Line 5 Eglinton LRT opened in February — especially after a 14-year construction and commissioning period for the new major transit line.
“You can see the traffic coming from the subway, into the subway. The business, we would like to see more of it,” Rose said, adding she’s hopeful there will generally be a summer boom.
Jason McDonald, who owns Casual Hair Salon steps away from the new Oakwood station, said the current landscape facing the business district is more dire.
“Little Jamaica is still in a state of emergency (with) over 300 small business closures within the last 16 years of this LRT fiasco. This community used to be a vibrant, positive, welcoming community,” he said while highlighting multiple empty storefronts with “for rent” signs.
“There’s absolutely no foot traffic because of the LRT; everything is beneath us.”
McDonald, up until earlier this year, served as chair of the BIA. However, he said he’s so frustrated with the status quo he decided in May to step away to run for the Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence council seat in Toronto’s October election. As of Monday, there were four other candidates in the race.
“We need compensation, we need meaningful support. This shop local theme, slogan is just an illusion,” McDonald said, arguing local residents have been suffering too.
“Shop and support the local businesses within Little Jamaica, within Ward 8.”
There have been repeated calls for direct compensation to affected business owners in recent years from Metrolinx and the Ontario government, which oversaw the private-sector construction of the Eglinton Crosstown, but those requests have largely been ignored.
However, officials with Metrolinx previously told CityNews $1.38 million was provided to bolster three existing City of Toronto grant programs for all BIAs along the Eglinton Crosstown corridor.
A City of Toronto spokesperson said $300,000 was distributed for community events in the past two years along with economic development staff assistance.
CityNews attempted to contact the Little Jamaica BIA on Monday to talk about the loss of the festival and some of the overarching issues facing the street, but representatives weren’t immediately available.
Meanwhile, Rose said she would like to see more attention being given to businesses like hers as well as the east side of Little Jamaica by the BIA and politicians at all levels.
“I couldn’t tell you last when I had an MPP or otherwise come into Rap’s to find out how we’re doing. It’s always during an election and that stinks,” she said while calling for “togetherness.”
“We need to come together as one.”
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