It started with a simple question in March 2020: How do you support your favourite local businesses when their doors have to close?
As Toronto’s neighbourhoods went quiet during the pandemic lockdowns, the small shops, cafés, and studios that give each street its character were fighting to survive. Many had no online presence. Most couldn’t afford delivery infrastructure. And their loyal customers — the ones who popped in every Saturday morning — suddenly had no way to reach them.
The First Bag
In the summer of 2020, a group of friends in Queen West decided to try something different. Instead of launching another GoFundMe, they partnered directly with local shop owners to curate gift bags — real, physical collections of goods from neighbourhood businesses, packed and delivered to Torontonians who wanted to support local.
The first “Bag of Queen West” included handmade candles from a Dundas Street studio, roasted coffee from a family-run café, artisan chocolate from a Parkdale chocolatier, and a hand-printed tote from a local screen printer. Every item came with a card telling the maker’s story.
It sold out in 48 hours.
Growing Across 8 Neighbourhoods
Word spread fast. Shop owners from Ossington, Kensington Market, and Trinity Bellwoods reached out asking to be included. By fall 2020, Bag of Toronto had expanded to eight distinct neighbourhood collections:
120+ Partner Businesses
Between 2020 and 2023, Bag of Toronto partnered with over 120 independent businesses across the city. From a one-woman soap maker in Bloorcourt to a third-generation bakery in Oakwood Village, every partner shared one thing: a deep connection to their neighbourhood and a product worth discovering.
Each bag wasn’t just a gift — it was an introduction to a community. Customers told us they’d walk into shops they’d never visited before, recognizing products from their bag. That ripple effect was exactly what we’d hoped for.
Media & Community Response
The campaign caught the attention of major Canadian media. The Globe and Mail featured our gift bags in their holiday shopping guide. CTV News covered the grassroots movement supporting local businesses. BlogTO included us in their roundup of ways to support Toronto’s small business community, and neighbourhood publications like SheDoesTheCity and Curiocity helped spread the word to their audiences.
But the most meaningful coverage came from the businesses themselves — Instagram stories of shop owners packing bags together, handwritten thank-you notes tucked into orders, and the shared pride of seeing their neighbourhood represented.
What We’re Doing Now
The pandemic campaign may have ended, but Toronto’s neighbourhoods keep evolving. Today, bagoftoronto.ca serves as a guide to the city’s best local shopping destinations — the same neighbourhoods, the same spirit of supporting independent businesses, now as a permanent resource for residents and visitors.
We curate neighbourhood guides, recommend local products available through trusted retailers, and highlight the charities and community organizations that keep Toronto’s streets vibrant. Because the best thing you can put in any bag is something made right here.
Shop Local. Gift Local. Love Toronto.
Explore our neighbourhood gift collections or browse the full shop.