After a campaign to save Sneaky Dee's brought in local politicians, community and members of the music industry, a letter from The Royal Bank of Canada ultimately caused the developer to halt demolition plans.
After community members and members of the music industry rallied to support the Toronto restaurant and concert venue, a condo developer’s plans to demolish the College Street venue for a 16-storey building have been withdrawn.
For over four decades, the venue has become a fixture of the city’s live music scene, helping to launch the careers of homegrown acts like Broken Social Scene, Barenaked Ladies, Feist, PUP and many more.
Earlier this year, the developer reportedly revealed plans to start demolition between 419 and 431 College Street, starting on July 8. Following the demolition plan announcement, many rallied to save the venue, including online petitions, grassroots campaigns and social media. It seems to have paid off, een if not in the way they had hoped.
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Despite the grassroots and city council efforts, the final piece in securing the proposal withdrawal was a letter to Toronto city councillors from The Royal Bank of Canada, which claimed ownership of part of the property proposed for redevelopment and alleged that no development plans could take place.
“This letter is to make absolutely clear that the parcel at 429 College Street is under RBC ownership and not the numbered company who has submitted the above-mentioned development application,” wrote Johanna Oakley, director of retail transactions for RBC on behalf of the Canadian bank. “The present development scheme cannot proceed in the absence of proponent ownership of the 429 College Street parcel.”
The College and Bathurst location of RBC is located at 429 College Street, while Sneaky Dee’s sits at 431 College Street. In Oakley’s statement, she noted that the condo developer has “no agreement of purchase and sale or any agreement of any kind” involving the bank’s branch.
In the letter, Oakley objected to the demolition plans and urged the city council to reject the developer’s application, adding that the bank had “co-existed with the Sneaky Dee’s use for many years” and that they would be “entirely content to see that relationship continue” moving forward.
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“With this formal action taken by the owner, this withdrawn application should also be withdrawn from the agenda of the July 8, 2026, Community Council meeting,” she wrote.
In response to Oakley’s letter, planning consultant Michael Goldberg formally withdrew the condo developer’s application.
“I have been instructed by the President of my client’s companies to formally withdraw the subject application,” Goldberg said in a letter, confirming that the topic should be removed from the city council’s July 8 agenda.
Following the news that Sneaky Dee’s would remain open, many city councillors and local residents have expressed their support.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow celebrated the news, sharing a video eating the famous nachos at Sneaky Dee’s, soundtracked by Gob’s “I Hear You Calling.”
“Long live Sneaky Dee’s! Thanks to the efforts of the community that loves it, it’s been saved,” wrote St. Paul's city councillor Josh Matlow on X. “Supporting more housing should not have to come at the expense of ensuring that we also have schools, social services, parks, infrastructure and, yes, the iconic places that we love and value. Good planning means we can have both.”
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Organizers of the grassroots initiative Save Sneaky Dee’s — who pressed for community support and action to save the venue — posted a video on social media showing supporters ripping down and stomping on the condo development notice sign.
“We did it. We saved Sneaky Dee’s,” wrote Martin Perez, who co-manages media communications for the campaign. He thanked the group’s supporters, the Kensington Market Community Land Trust and the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust. “More updates on our long-term plans to further protect the venue to come,” he shared.
