Motorists and pedestrians will notice a new era of street signage on their daily commute between Rogers Centre and Nathan Phillips Square.
City officials gathered outside Rogers Centre on Monday to unveil “Taylor Swift Way” — the first of 22 ceremonial street signs ahead of the pop star's six shows this month.
The signs, which were created by the city in partnership with Rogers, will be donated to Daily Bread Food Bank at the end of November to raise money for the organization through online auctions.
Rogers will match funds raised up to $113,000 — a nod to Swift’s lucky number 13.
Commending Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough—Rouge Park) and her colleagues for the idea, Mayor Olivia Chow said the initiative has contributed to the excitement for next Thursday’s opening show.
“Taylor Swift has a magical way to connect people around the world,” she said. “Her music unites us, her lyrics touch us deeply — even her cats connect us."
When asked if she’d be attending one of the shows, Chow replied: “It’s hard to get tickets.”
Whether fans have tickets for the show or not, Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (Spadina—Fort York) noted the signs are a great way to include everyone in the festivities.
“I have been in awe [of] the incredible force of Taylor Swift as she’s toured across the world,” she said. “Toronto has been learning from other cities on many fronts about traffic management, public safety and welcoming visitors to be ready for it.”
Swift has donated the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to food banks and other community organizations around the world during The Eras Tour.
Acknowledging the legacy her concerts will leave behind in Toronto, Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington is hopeful for some financial assistance when the tour arrives.
“We know she has been extremely generous to food banks,” he said. “Every single city, they have chosen a food bank. We’re very hopeful at some point she will continue to divest her wealth and provide Daily Bread an opportunity to feed additional folks.”
The online auction for the “1 Taylor Swift Way” street sign and six other signs kicks off today and runs until Nov. 10. Five additional signs will be released for the auction each Monday in November. Readers can register by clicking here.
Daily Bread distributes food to nearly 130 member agencies running more than 200 food programs across Toronto — a network that now serves over 3.3 million client visits per year.
The city has made several announcements in recent days related to public transit changes during the singer's visit, which is expected to be an economic boon to Toronto. Security measures have also been put in place for the star's arrival
Swift will perform six sold-out shows at Rogers Centre on Nov. 14, 15, 16, 21, 22 and 23.
The Toronto city sign at Nathan Phillips Square will be lit red during these nights.
The “Taylor Swift Way” street signs can be found between Nathan Phillips Square and Rogers Centre along Queen Street West, John Street, Front Street and Blue Jays Way.
