The My Main Street Community Activator provides funding for placemaking projects that help strengthen the connection between people and places to drive economic activity and feelings of belonging.

Placemaking is a process that inspires people to collectively reimagine and reshape public space at the heart of every community in order to maximize its shared value.

Program funding will be provided through reimbursements for placemaking projects including but not limited to:

• Events and activities to draw visitors and create destinations;
• Above grade community enhancements to improve local streetscapes;
• The development of placemaking policies and partnerships that aim to create sustainable changes to an area to promote social cohesion and spur economic activity in a defined geographic area.

Funding will be prioritized for projects that are part of longer-term plans to revitalize local economies and that are designed to support economic and social benefits for equity-seeking groups.

Applications for Year One projects will be accepted between Oct. 1 and Nov. 1 2021.

Year One projects will be eligible for reimbursements for projects done THIS YEAR, with costs incurred between June. 8 and Dec. 31 2021.

In order to qualify for the My Main Street Community Activator:

• Your project must occur within Southern Ontario.
  Except for the City of Toronto: https://www.toronto.ca/news/to...
  
• The application must be submitted by a:
  • Municipality, local or regional government
  • Business Improvement Area
  • Indigenous governing body or development corporation
  • Registered not-for-profit
• Your project must focus on a defined geographic area, such as a commercial main street or specific business district. Funding cannot be used to support programming across municipal jurisdictions.
• Your project must have all the necessary local approvals.
• Your project must be fully costed, which can include funding from other sources, as applicable.
• You must be able to provide a detailed accounting of project spending, as funding will be provided in the form of reimbursements.
• You’re willing to tell the story of your event, participate in announcements, events and storytelling initiatives related to their project, its impact on community vibrancy and its funding through the My Main Street program.

To support our mandate of helping to drive community and economic renewal at the local level, you will also be asked to:

• Identify the intended impact of your work, and how it supports connections between people and places, drives economic activity and supports the inclusion, safety and prosperity of equity-seeking groups.
• Identify how you measured or will measure the impact of your project and how it is contributing to sustainable economic and social vibrancy.
• Identify all local community partners working collaboratively to make the project a success.

Complete applicant guides will be posted before applications launch on Oct. 1.

A future application process will be held for Year Two projects, which will be eligible for reimbursements for projects done in 2022, with costs incurred between Jan. 1 and Dec.31, 2022.