Officials laud Filipino-owned businesses in Toronto’s ‘Little Manila’

Consul General Orontes V. Castro (center) with Filipino Canadian owners of Harina Bakeshoppe Danilo Hernandez and Jen dela Cruz and the Filipino workers of the bread store at Bathurst, Wilson Avenue. CONTRIBUTED

TORONTO – Filipino-owned businesses in the Bathurst area of the City of Toronto, the site of the yearly “Taste of Manila” festivities during the summer season, received full support from Canadian officials and the Philippines’ consul general in developing the commercial corridor.

The Bathurst area is also known as “Little Manila” due to the presence of Filipino-owned small and medium-sized businesses such as restaurants, remittance companies, barbershops, karaoke bars, and others.

The Wilson Village BIA has been working on a Masterplan for Wilson Avenue with a community consultation to showcase the capital improvements scheduled for implementation over the next several years.

Designated areas along the Wilson corridor will feature sitting areas with new street furniture, lighting and artwork to improve the overall look of the area and boost development and investment.

Philippine Consul General Orontes V. Castro joined Canada’s Member of Parliament Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre), Member of Parliament Ya’ara Saks (York Centre), and Toronto City Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 6 York Centre) on a visit to Bathurst on Dec. 22.

Harina Bakeshoppe, owned by Filipino Canadian business partners Danilo Hernandez and Jen dela Cruz, has been chosen by Councillor Pasternak and the organizers of the “Taste of Manila” to launch the councillor’s “Business Improvement Area” (BIA) in Wilson Avenue that includes the Bathurst area.

Consul General Castro commended the Filipino Canadian business owners of Harina Bakeshoppe and other businesses in the Bathurst, while underscoring the significance of the entrepreneurial spirit to the growing population of Filipinos in the Ontario province, and Greater Toronto Area.

MPs Zahid and Saks, and Councilor Pasternak likewise lauded the business owners of Harina Bakeshoppe and other Filipino-owned businesses for their effort to continue their business operation despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic.