LED signs flash across Toronto to boost local economy amid U.S. tariffs

by marika_gabriel | 24 March 2025 11:37 am

Toronto is turning up the spotlight on local businesses with the launch of the Love Local campaign, featuring bright LED signs across the city. Mayor Olivia Chow, Councillor Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth), and Jennifer Lay, the Riverside Business Improvement Area (BIA) executive director, kicked off the initiative to encourage residents to support locally owned businesses and strengthen the city’s economy in response to U.S. tariffs. POP Marquee, a local producer of LED letters and icons in Toronto for more than 12 years, has been busy setting up these signs across the city, furthering the campaign’s impact. Love Local is among 10 immediate actions outlined in the mayor’s Economic Action Plan. 

The large LED Love Local signs, first placed in the Riverside BIA, will remind Torontonians to shop local, dine at neighbourhood restaurants, and buy from local artisans and service providers. The city will display these illuminated messages throughout Toronto, urging people to keep spending within the community. The campaign encourages local businesses to display decals that inspire customers to get involved. Richard Cowan, owner of POP Marquee, is excited about this initiative, as his company sets off to place these signs across the city. He says, “The way our letters are built makes it easy to assemble big projects quickly, especially because they’re made locally. Local manufacturers are involved, and we’ve already completed five signs with more on the way.”

Buying Canadian

“The Love Local Campaign is helping Toronto residents and business owners to shop local and buy Canadian. We must stand together to protect Canadian jobs and support local businesses, creating jobs right here in our neighbourhoods. We will face this senseless U.S. trade threat and emerge stronger than ever before.” Councillor Paula Fletcher added, “Small businesses are a pillar of our city’s economy and the beating heart of our local communities. The Love Local campaign is about making sure they continue to thrive. By supporting this campaign, we ensure Toronto’s neighbourhoods can remain vibrant and dynamic spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.” The campaign aligns with a broader strategy to protect small businesses and raise awareness about Toronto’s manufacturing sector.

Cowan adds, “It’s exciting to see all the local businesses getting involved from the BIAs. We’ve worked with five local manufacturers and several wholesalers. We’re up and running now, with a staging area to store and deploy the signs throughout the city. We’re having a blast!”

For details on where to find the Love Local LED signs and how to participate in this campaign, visit toronto.ca/tariffs[2].

POP Marquee’s Instagram page showcases some of these signs[3], as the company displays them throughout the city. Cowan also mentioned that following the campaign, these signs will be available for purchase by local businesses, allowing them to continue supporting the cause.

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/led-signs-flash-across-toronto-to-boost-local-economy-amid-u-s-tariffs/

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