The Toast Collective

A Decade at 648 Kingsway

The Toast Collective ran the storefront at 648 Kingsway for more than a decade, from the early 2010s until the end of 2021. It operated as a registered not-for-profit, kept rental rates low on purpose, and hosted shows, workshops, and grassroots community events for artists working with limited budgets.

Cheap on Purpose

The collective's model was affordability. It received arts grants, ran on volunteer labour, and priced the room so that emerging artists and community organizers could actually use it. The space became a hub for grassroots activism alongside its music and arts programming.

The end

In December 2021 the collective announced it was leaving 648 Kingsway. The rent had been raised to $1,500 a month, which the collective said was too expensive for the way it operated, and the building was up for sale. It vacated on January 1, 2022, saying it hoped to find a place where it could program loud events without impacting neighbours. The room did not sit empty: an operator called 648 Kingsway ran it from 2022 to August 2024, followed by Take Your Time Back, both of which have since closed in turn.