What We Do
Under the purview of marketing, the RVBIA hosts a fall festival annually: the Roncesvalles Polish Festival held over two days each September that attracts upwards of 350,000 visitors in a weekend, which now also includes Roncy Rocks! a hyper local event previously run for almost 10 years each June which welcomed around 10,000 attendees.
What is a BIA?
A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an association of commercial property owners and their commercial tenants within a defined area who work in partnership with the City to create thriving, competitive, and safe business areas that attract shoppers, diners, tourists, and new businesses.
Business Improvement Areas are funded via Commercial Property Taxes: Commercial property owners (and commercial tenants) located within an established BIA catchment are automatically BIA members.
By working collectively as a BIA, local business have the organizational and funding capacity to be catalysts for civic improvement, enhancing the quality of life in their local neighbourhood and the City as a whole.
BIAs were first created in Toronto. The world’s first BIA was the Bloor West Village BIA, founded in 1970. (The Roncesvalles Village BIA was created in 1984.)
At the 40th anniversary celebration of BIAs, then mayor David Miller declared BIAs to be “Toronto’s greatest export.” There are hundreds of BIAs in Canada, over 3200 BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) in the United States, and the BIA model is employed in some fashion in dozens of countries around the world.
Roncesvalles BIA Board of Management 2019-2022
Updated July 2022.
David Neinstein
Chair
HR Committee Chair
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Owner, Barque Smokehouse
299 Roncesvalles Avenue
Adam Langley
Vice-Chair
Streetscape, IT,
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Owner, Welcome Pharmacy
137 Roncesvalles Avenue
Gabby Ouimet
Secretary
Member Outreach Co-Chair
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Retail Manager, Village Juicery
99 Roncesvalles Avenue
Vacant
Treasurer
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Andrew Chomentowski
Roncesvalles Polish Festival Committee Chair, Chair Emeritus
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Property Owner
281 Roncesvalles Avenue
Derek Vaz
Social Justice and Anti Racism Committee Co-Chair
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Owner, DVXD
119B Roncesvalles Avenue
Guillermina Buzio
Member Outreach Committee
Co-Chair
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Co-Owner, Bar Bacan
369 Roncesvalles Avenue
Vacant
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Vacant
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Vacant
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Councillor Gord Perks
Board Member ex officio,
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park
100 Queen Street West
Community Advisors
Rev. Anne Hines
RVBIA Community Advisor
Roncesvalles United Church
Brian Bertrand
RVBIA Community Advisor
Branch Head, High Park Library
Ned Sabev
Roncesvalles Village BIA Advisor
Toronto BIA Office
Sarah Davis
Digital Producer and Social Strategist
Social Justice and Anti-Racism Committee Co-Chair
Tony Cauch
Chair Emeritus
Roncesvalles Village BIA
John Wakulat
Founder and Chair Emeritus,
Roncesvalles Village BIA
Recent Projects
On Friday, May 17th, the Roncesvalles Village BIA and the Friends of Dundas Roncesvalles Peace Garden celebrated an Award of Excellence for Public Space Improvements received from the International Downtown Association (IDA) for the Dundas Roncesvalles Peace Garden (DRPG). This Award is particularly significant because the IDA values collaboration. In its realization, this project galvanized the support of many community … Read More
Roncy Reduces is a community waste reduction initiative in the Roncesvalles area that was launched by 20 local parents at the beginning of this year. Their goal is to reduce single-use plastics and packaging in our neighbourhood by encouraging both consumers and businesses to practice waste reduction together. They have invited neighbourhood businesses to participate by displaying their Roncy Reduces/BYO sticker … Read More
On April 28th, join over 200,000 residents, students, businesses, organizations and communities as we clean Toronto together for the 16th annual spring cleanup! The Roncesvalles Village BIA & RoncyWorks will be hosting the Roncesvalles Avenue Community Clean Up. We will be encouraging BIA members to clean in front of their businesses on the sidewalk and their back laneway. We will be inviting … Read More
Past Projects
RVBIA History
The Roncesvalles Village BIA was one of the earlier ones established in Toronto. It was formed by the merger of the High Park BIA and the Roncesvalles BIA, each of which covered a few blocks of Roncesvalles Avenue.
The Roncesvalles Village BIA was the result of this merger, which occurred in 1986. The BIA’s founding chair, John Wakulat, served as chair well into the late 1990s and now is Chair Emeritus.
Under the leadership of BIA chair Tony Cauch, the RVBIA’s boundaries expanded to include all of Roncesvalles Avenue and a few nearby properties in 2007.
Beginning in 2003, the Roncesvalles Village BIA created Roncesvalles Renewed, a group comprised of BIA members and interested community members under the leadership of Beautification Committee Chair John Bowker. This group had dozens of meetings with City of Toronto staff in planning the general design of what we see on Roncesvalles Avenue today. The streetscape has been hailed by the New York Times as making Roncesvalles Avenue “one of Toronto’s most engaging strolls.”
John Bowker became chair of the Roncesvalles Village BIA in December 2013. After he stepped down in October of 2015, Vice-Chair Len McAuley assumed the Chair in December 2015 and served until July 2020.
RVBIA Committees
BIA committees are made up of volunteer business and commercial property owners.
Streetscape Committee
This committee is responsible for graffiti removal, gardens, mural creation and general street beautification on Roncesvalles Avenue. This committee also manages BIA-owned movable assets, such as tents and other event hardware as well as pedestrian lights and other fixed assets on the street.
Marketing and Promotions Committee
This committee is, dedicated to promoting our businesses, our main street, along with some of the amenities and activities within and nearby Roncesvalles Village. The Roncesvalles Polish Festival (which now also includes Roncy Rocks!) planning committee was formed under the leadership of Andrew Chomentowski, who has chaired the committee for many years.
Member Outreach Committee (MOC)
This Committee strives to update our members on initiatives, grant programs and critical information as it relates to the BIA, small business and the neighbourhood. In addition to the Member Updates and other emails sent by staff, the MOC schedules regular walks down Roncesvalles where members are invited to join in informal discussions regarding any initiatives in progress or general information the BIA might help with.
Social Justice and Anti-Racism Committee (SJAR)
This committee mission is to help remove barriers to equity, diversity and prosperity in our community, particularly for BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+ and other marginalized groups. By creating tools for local businesses, providing access to support and information, and elevating the voices of our marginalized neighbours we hope to continue to build Roncesvalles as a neighbourhood that celebrates unique voices and stands up to racism, hate speech, and social injustice. Co-Chairs Derek Vaz, Sarah Davis and the entire committee are happy to welcome any community member who wishes to participate or provide support; working together is how we achieve these goals. Learn more…
South End Construction Mitigation Sub-Committee
In anticipation of the reconstruction of the south end of Roncesvalles below Harvard Avenue to maintain TTC tracks and both overhead and underground infrastructure, this committee is working to mitigate the impacts on our businesses.
Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee identifies goals, objectives and key actions needed to fulfill the mandate of the RVBIA and focus on the most pressing priorities during each four-year term.
Finance Committee
This committee is chaired by the Treasurer of the RVBIA. Its primary responsibilities are managing the BIA’s accounts and developing the BIA’s annual budget. Executive Committee members of the Board of management are members of this committee.
Administration Committee
The Administration Committee is responsible for the following:
- Human Resources, managing our paid staff
- IT, preparing and monitoring existing technology, research options and determine best options for future technical needs
- Volunteer Recognition, honour our many community minded volunteers and engage the community to enlarge and maintain this group.
- Member and Community Relations, overseeing stakeholder communications, and participating in outreach with our Members and the community, manages newsletters, promotes meet and greets with our Membership.
Contact Us
Phone: 416-537-2701
Email: info@roncesvallesvillage.ca
Roncesvalles Village BIA
9 Neepawa Avenue
Toronto, ON Canada M6R 1V1