What to know
- Residents have launched a petition claiming Stackt Market’s late-night noise has made the area increasingly unlivable.
- Noise advocate Ingrid Buday says Stackt reflects a wider city problem.
- The City says it is monitoring Stackt closely, noting 161 complaints and 42 exemptions while maintaining events have met permit conditions.
- Councillor Ausma Malik says her office is pushing for better oversight, mitigation, and communication with residents.
Once praised as a pop-up market for local creatives, Stackt Market is now at the centre of a recent petition from nearby residents, who claim the space has shifted into a late-night entertainment zone with noise levels they can no longer ignore.
The petition Support Local Business, Not Noise Pollution: Demand Accountability from Stackt Market is calling on the City of Toronto to intervene after years of resident complaints about disruptive noise, bass vibrations, and what they describe as “a commercial venue operating like a nightclub.”
Addressed to Mayor Olivia Chow’s office, the campaign argues that Stackt Market has strayed far from its original promise. Instead of a community-oriented public space, residents say it has evolved into a near-daily events venue, hosting concerts, raves, and DJ nights with amplified music that run past midnight, sometimes as late as 2 a.m.
The petition clarifies that the noise complaints are not addressed towards “typical downtown noise,” including car traffic, sirens, or city life, saying that the loud sounds of music and parties has become “deeply disruptive,” especially for seniors, families, and those working from home.
Many residents purchased or rented in the Fort York and Niagara neighbourhoods before Stackt existed, when the site was intended to become a city park, according to the petition. Instead, the City leased the land to a private operator, and residents say the result has been a multi-year erosion of livability: two years of 311 calls, emails, videos, and reports with few consequences.
In light of the issues, the petition is asking for action, including:
- An end to automatic or repeated noise exemptions;
- Consistent enforcement of permit conditions;
- Restoring the market’s original community-focused purpose;
- Working with residents who live directly beside the venue.
“This is not about shutting Stackt down,” the petition states. “We support local businesses, artists, and community space. But we believe Stackt must be held accountable to the community it exists within.”
ADVOCATES RAISE CONCERNS
Noise advocate Ingrid Buday, the founder and executive director of No More Noise Toronto, says residents’ frustrations with Stackt reflect a larger trend across the city.
“We have been aware… It started last summer when people were like, ‘Wow, this is, like, every weekend’… but it’s certainly increased in frequency,” she told Now Toronto.
Buday says Stackt-related concerns have recently grown within their Facebook community.
According to her, No More Noise sits on the external working group for the City’s Night Economy Office, giving them direct access to how Toronto approaches noise and permits. They have observed that amplified sound is Toronto’s number one 311 noise complaint, and Stackt stands out.
“For Stackt, this is consistent every Saturday throughout the summer, [for] long periods of time… maybe Stackt is a little bit of the poster child for that,” she said.
In comparison to noise complaints in other neighbourhoods, Buday says Stackt’s regular, high-volume programming creates a different kind of pressure on residents, and raises concerns over Toronto’s current noise permit and enforcement models.
“The actual enforcement process is broken,” she noted.
She says the City’s reliance on self-monitoring by event organizers is not an effective system. Instead, she advocates for area sound level monitoring, devices mounted on poles that continuously broadcast decibel data to the city.
“If you have something monitoring the sound levels, then that can be an alert to the city… It’s so much more efficient,” Buday explained.
Buday says low-frequency bass should be the first target as a solution for residents.
“Reduce the low frequency, reduce the volume… I’ve been to Stackt and I had a hard time hearing the people I was sitting across the picnic table from.”
The advocate also believes that Toronto should implement noise reduction goals, based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations, pointing out that loud noises can lead to cardiovascular impacts, stress, mental health strain, and the difficulty of concentrating.
“Is 55 decibels achievable? No, but we should start somewhere… get the noise levels down, versus keep ratcheting them up.”
CITY OF TORONTO RESPONDS
The city says it is actively monitoring and responding to noise concerns related to Stackt and enforcing its Noise Bylaw.
“.The City is also in communication with Stackt Market’s operators to ensure compliance with all permit conditions and to address community impacts related to amplified sound and event activity,” a spokesperson of the city told Now Toronto.
- According to the city, since 2022, 161 noise complaints related to amplified sound at Stackt have been filed, and 42 noise exemptions have been issued. Meanwhile, City noise staff have monitored events “this year and last year” and report that all monitored events were in compliance with their permit conditions.
On the question of balancing nightlife with livability, the city says noise exemptions are reviewed carefully and often come with conditions, including limited hours, volume restrictions, and mitigation plans.
“The City aims to support both vibrant community and cultural spaces as well as livable neighbourhoods. Noise exemptions and event approvals are reviewed carefully to balance local economic and cultural benefits with the needs of nearby residents,” the spokesperson said.
In a notable acknowledgement, the City confirmed that the land at 28 Bathurst St. was originally approved for redevelopment into a future park. Environmental testing, funding, and consultation are still being discussed and planned, a process the City says will take “additional time.”
Staff also say they are exploring “opportunities for additional engagement” with residents and community associations around noise and event impacts.
COUNCILLOR AUSMA MALIK RESPONDS
Deputy Mayor and Ward 10 Councillor Ausma Malik says her office has been working with local residents, City staff, and Stackt’s leadership to address ongoing concerns related to noise in the area.
“My team and I have been continually working… to manage noise issues and ensure residents of the Niagara and Fort York neighbourhoods can get a good night’s sleep, and that events from Stackt Market are enjoyable while in compliance with the City’s updated noise bylaws,” Malik said in a written statement to Now Toronto.
The councillor says she advanced several noise bylaw improvements in 2024, including better monitoring, ward-specific plans for noise permits, and clearer public education, and that her office has pushed for stronger oversight at Stackt specifically, which include:
- Increased City noise monitoring;
- Requiring noise mitigation plans;
- Ensuring residents are notified of upcoming events.
“We encourage residents to reach out to 311 and my office to file a formal complaint so we have the most up-to-date data for lasting improvements,” she said.
Now Toronto reached out to Stackt Market for a comment, but didn’t receive a reply in time for publication.
