Bloor West Village is a neighbourhood of Toronto that has a very unique eastern Europeans flare. Many of the first settlers in this community were Eastern Europeans and they opened up a plethora of wonderful shops, bakeries and restaurants along Bloor Street West, the busy commercial vein of this area. It was these very same businessmen and their families that helped to create the first Business Improvement Association (BIA) in Toronto here in 1970. The BIA is an association that helps to beautify the area as well as to promote local business through a series of initiatives and events. Every year, the BIA in Bloor West Village hosts an annual Ukrainian Festival, a Halloween Festival as well as a wonderful July Festival. These festivals and other BIA organized events help to promote Bloor West Village’s local businesses while also bringing the community together as a whole.

Today, thanks to the help of the local BIA, Bloor West Village is a very vibrant and proud neighbourhood that is visited by locals and tourists alike all year round.