Stretch of Toronto could be temporarily co

Stretch of Toronto could be temporarily co-named 'BTS Boulevard'

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There's no Fake Love in Toronto for K-pop boyband BTS as the city may unveil a new street sign dedicated to the group for just one month.

City council is expected to vote this week on a motion suggesting to temporarily co-name a stretch of Yonge Street from North York Boulevard to Finch Avenue as "BTS Boulevard."

If passed, the motion brought forward by Coun. Lily Cheng and seconded by Coun. James Pasternak would introduce the change from about Aug. 21 to Sept. 23 this year.

The pop group sensation is heading to Toronto this year for two Dynamite concerts at Rogers Stadium on Aug. 22 and 23. The Arirang World Tour marks the group's highly anticipated return to the stage after a hiatus to complete their military service in South Korea.

The temporary street would also honour celebrations that same weekend at the annual Toronto Korean Festival at Mel Lastman Square, which Cheng says is the largest Korean festival in Canada.

"It's a great opportunity to amplify the Korean culture that is being celebrated and we are hoping to invite BTS Army to come to the Korean festival since they're going to be in town," she said.

She said she's already received many letters of support for the motion from excited fans, known as the BTS Army, and urged others to write in if they'd like to see the city celebrate the group.

Cheng said the temporary co-naming of the street, if approved, will be paid for by a sponsor of the festival.

The plan is to auction off the sign for a local food bank, similar to what the city did for the temporary street signs after the Taylor Swift concerts, she said.

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Many businesses in the Koreatown North neighbourhood of North York struggled during the pandemic and even after it ended, said Cheng.

She said the hype around BTS and the Korean festival will hopefully put the neighbourhood on the city's food map, but also reinvigorate businesses.

"They haven't bounced back the way that they would like to," she said. "So we're hoping that this brings some love, some attention and gives a boost to the restaurants."

Korean celebrities, like K-pop girl group Blackpink, visit restaurants in the area whenever they're in town, so she hopes the celebrations will draw in fans and even BTS to come by.

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The motion also requests the city to light the Toronto sign purple during the boyband's concert nights.

Cheng says this is just another way to show Toronto is welcoming the "global phenomenon" group with "big arms wide open."

She said other cities, like Las Vegas and London, had city-wide celebrations with purple lights everywhere during the group's tour dates.

Arrthy Thayaparan is a writer at CBC Toronto with interests in health, climate, education and community stories. You can contact her at arrthy.thayaparan@cbc.ca.