Ubisoft, the Parisian video game developer has recently taken up residency in Toronto’s west end. The rumors were flying around for months: Where were they going to locate? Retailers became eager to cater to the supposed gentrification that they would bring.
To the surprise of some, they settled into a large creative loft, part of the redeveloped General Electric building in the Triangle Junction/Bloordale neighborhood. Ubisoft reps say that they preferred a neighborhood that is developing so that they can interact and grow with the area. In the past year, the surrounding area has seen an influx of new business – cafés, galleries and shops finding a home among the roti counters, Islamic Centre and strip clubs. The branch’s new home is a diverse neighborhood that appears to be attracting some attention.
Ubisoft has been credited with the birth of the fashionable Mile End neighborhood in Montreal and some hope that it will have the same effect in an area that has been thought of as the wrong side of the tracks. Ubisoft plans to bring 800 employees to this division and with a draw like that there is no doubt that the area will experience a shift. Ready, set, gentrify.