A large crowd gathered at Toronto City Hall on Thursday to voice support for the iconic bar and music venue Sneaky Dee's, which faces an uncertain future due to a developer's plans for a 16-storey condo tower at the corner of College and Bathurst Streets. The Toronto-East York community council is considering zoning and planning changes that could pave the way for the development.
Community Voices Concerns
More than a dozen people chose to speak at the meeting, despite council chairman Chris Moise advising that no decision would be made until at least July. Many expressed frustration over the gradual loss of Toronto's cultural identity and the replacement of affordable venues with expensive condos.
Sadie Stranks, one of the speakers, compared the potential loss of Sneaky Dee's to that of Honest Ed's, another Toronto landmark. 'I feel that Sneaky Dee's is more of a home than any apartment you could possibly build,' she said.
Councillors Weigh In
Councillor Alejandra Bravo, representing Davenport ward, shared her personal connection to the venue, noting she attended Sneaky Dee's so often 'that I was invited to the staff party.' She acknowledged the limitations of municipal government in setting planning rules, stating, 'The provincial government sets the legislation. We have very limited tools in what we can do.' Bravo added, 'This provincial government sucks,' drawing laughter from the audience, and encouraged organized young people to push back for change.
Councillor Dianne Saxe expressed skepticism about the developer's promises, recalling past experiences where developers had misled the council. 'I've had developers try to fool me before,' she said.
Developer's Perspective
Clay Janzen, a planner with the Goldberg Group, the developer behind the proposal, assured that Sneaky Dee's would have a place in the new development. He stated that the bar could remain until construction begins, receive a temporary location nearby, and be welcomed back as a tenant in the new building. However, the Toronto Sun could not obtain comment from Sneaky Dee's ownership.
Trade-Offs and Concerns
The proposed condo tower would include two retail spaces and room for one music venue, but critics argue it would replace a thriving business with expensive housing. Nate Palmer questioned why a historic landmark should be sacrificed when many condos sit empty and unsold. 'The last thing Toronto needs is to remove more historic landmarks in order to make way for expensive construction projects that do nothing for the people that live here and serve only to enrich wealthy developers who don't care about the city,' he said.
Becky Robinson, a mid-30s attendee who still goes to Sneaky Dee's for yoga, warned, 'Without places like it, we are just going to become a sea of highrises full of people who have nowhere to actually go.'
Background
Sneaky Dee's has been a staple since 1987 and was immortalized as a Toronto hipster institution in the Scott Pilgrim comic books in 2007. Plans to redevelop the site have been in the works since 2020. The community council received over 200 emails about the application, reflecting strong public interest in preserving the venue.
