SPOTLIGHT: Re-branding Parkdale.
Heather Douglas and Marcus McLean of the Parkdale Business Improvement Area unvieled its new logo as seen on the banner and on reusable bags they handed out at the Queen West Art Crawl Sept. 19 and 20.
Staff photo/ERIN HATFIELD
People in Parkdale know this an eclectic, artistic and diverse community, but now the local Business Improvement Area (BIA) is taking steps to spread the word outside the boundaries of the community."We are inviting, we are safe and very community focused. We are slightly off from the norm and that is something to be celebrated," said Marcus McLean with the Parkdale Village BIA.
To communicate that uniqueness, the BIA has developed a new, colourful logo to replace what McLean said was a dated logo, one that wasn't reflective of the investor class that has moved in and opened new, cool and forward leaning establishments in Parkdale Village.
"There has been a distinct and sometimes less than favourable image of Parkdale in the past," McLean said. "With the efforts we have put together in trying to cultivate a new logo and stylistic approach to how we advertise Parkdale, we are trying to change some of those old stereotypes of the neighbourhood."
The logo reflects that unique flavour in the way "Parkdale" is written on a bit of an angle, reflecting that when traveling into Parkdale you pass under the Dufferin Bridge and up a hill into a unique plateau of shops, arts and culture.
"It's not just about the art and the fashion. There are restaurants and video shops that are slightly askew from the norm," he said.
The BIA launched their new logo at the Queen West Art Crawl, handing out reusable shopping bags with the new branding on it.
Marcus said people can expect to see the logo popping up all over the city - in bus shelters, and in papers - encouraging people to come to the unique strip of Queen West in Parkdale.
"We need to outreach beyond our own gates," he said. "We are comfortable being Parkdalians. We know each other fairly well on the streets and we talk to our friends, but we don't do a lot of outreach to exterior communities."