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One of Salsa on St. Clair’s largest sponsors says it is pulling out of the festival after a shooting at the event this month claimed the lives of two people and injured five others.
Hillcrest Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) chair Heather Hannah told CBC Toronto the festival has outgrown the neighbourhood.
“For the last few years our members have been less and less interested in participating in this street festival,” she said in an emailed statement.
“The noise, garbage [and] bad behaviour of some attendees was also a problem for local residents who are our regular patrons for all the rest of the year.”
Some people brought open alcoholic beverages to the festival and became “difficult to deal with” at establishments, Hannah added.
“[They] seemed to not be here to visit our restaurants, businesses and stores,” she said. “Hillcrest Village BIA is now a destination [on] its own. We have many fine restaurants and services and stores and felt that we were [no] longer gaining from this street festival as we had in the past.”
Hannah said the board voted last week to discontinue the sponsorship of the Salsa on St. Clair street festival.
The move comes after gunfire erupted in the area of St. Clair Avenue W. and Arlington Avenue during the festival on July 11. Two men, who Toronto police have identified as 25-year-old Shaquan Quashie and 20-year-old Cesar Vernaza, were killed and five others were injured in the shooting.
The move comes after gunfire erupted in the area of St. Clair Avenue W. and Arlington Avenue during the festival on July 11. (CBC)
No arrests have been made.
Just three days after the incident, the media group that hosts Salsa on St. Clair threatened to pull the plug on the festival, calling for accountability from the City of Toronto and its police force.
“Unless City officials provide concrete commitments to enhance policing and security on and around St. Clair Avenue, we will be discontinuing our involvement,” TLN Media Group said in a statement at the time.
“We refuse to subject any of our people, friends, clients and community supporters to situations where public officials responsible for preventing crime and ensuring public safety resist the community’s calls to do better,” the organization added.
Prior to TLN Media’s statement, Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw called for legal reforms so that fatal shootings in public spaces automatically result in first-degree murder charges.
He also said Toronto police would continue to do everything in its power to tackle gun violence, but everyone has a role to play, including parents, schools, legislators and community organizations.
City spokesperson Pat Tobin also said at the time that Toronto remains committed to working with police, festival organizers and community partners to ensure safety at street festivals.
Loss of sponsor ‘no surprise’: festival host
In a statement to CBC Toronto Tuesday, a spokesperson for TLN Media Group said it comes as “no surprise” that the BIA would choose to pull funding after the “tragedy.”
“The invasion of the festival by reckless criminals on July 11, 2026 resulted in horrific scenes of violence, chaos and lasting trauma,” Aldo Di Felice said. “Our primary concern is the absolute safety and security of all participants.”
Since the media group’s initial threat to pull the plug on Salsa on St. Clair, the mayor’s office has committed to working with the organizers to address concerns and ensure the festival can continue to take place, Di Felice added.
Salsa on St. Clair is an annual event that has been celebrating Latin culture, food and music since 2005.