Nominate your favourite small business for a night off at TIFF

Nominate your favourite small business for a night off at TIFF

Drive-in movie nostalgia is back during TIFF this year

Image courtesy of George Pimentel

Before the world came to a screeching halt last year due to the pandemic, many of us spent a lot of time communing at a table at one of our local haunts or browsing the well-curated aisles of our favourite Toronto-born stores. From celebrations to first dates, last-minute gift shopping and spontaneous after-work meals, these places bore witness to the things we realized we took for granted once they were taken away from us.

 Local bar, restaurant and shopping industries were hit the hardest when COVID-19 touched down in Canada. Family-owned businesses and passion projects were forced to shutter their windows; many had to pivot, and pivot quickly, to adapt to the new normal that threatened everything we love about city living and socializing with friends. Some of Toronto’s most coveted restaurants and shops had to completely shift their business models to order-in and online-shopping styles, while others just couldn’t keep up. The impact has been felt city-wide by patrons, but primarily by the folks who’ve put their all—both their energy and financial resources—into keeping afloat the businesses we cherish most. 

Image courtesy of George Pimentel

As the country slowly inches its way toward reopening with caution, the RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place wants to give you the opportunity to nominate your favourite GTA small businesses and give them the ultimate drive-in movie experience at TIFF. The (literal) best seats in the house will be dedicated to the small business owners as a token of love and appreciation for all they do to keep our city thriving and full of culture. RBC will highlight the five winners and their business stories on the Toronto Life Instagram page from September 20 to 24. Nominate the small business you think deserves to win the “Best Seats in the House” contest below.

RBC x TIFF
Image courtesy of George Pimentel

These are the businesses who were there for us when everything changed; the ones who worked day and night to make our new normal as close to what we once knew, pre-pandemic, as possible. They brought our favourite meals to us and our local purchases, hand-delivered. They reimagined their famous dishes as DIY kits for at-home date nights. They brought Friday night cocktails home and helped make Halloween memorable for kids who weren’t able to go trick-or-treating. In all the uncertainty, they were there. Now, let’s be there for them.

RBC x TIFF
Image courtesy of George Pimentel

If you’ve attended TIFF in years past, you’ve probably noticed that RBC is one of the festival’s leading supporters. This year, RBC is continuing their commitment to TIFF and will host film fans at the RBC Lakeside Drive-In at Ontario Place throughout the festival. Like other events and businesses, TIFF has had to pivot due to the pandemic, too. This year, RBC Lakeside Drive-in is one of three outdoor venues featuring the best in first-rate international cinema, and, of course, Canadian creativity.

Contest is now closed.