Work is continuing on the new Long and McQuade music store on Danforth Avenue near Pharmacy Avenue. Hopes are for the store to be opening in February, but that date is tentative.
By CHRIS CAMMALLERI
The new location of Long and McQuade music store opening on Danforth Avenue near Pharmacy Avenue hopes to provide a service that is ‘advantageous’ to all in the Scarborough area.
The store, at 3313 Danforth Ave., will act as a hub for all local musicians and will provide the usual services synonymous with Long and McQuade stores such as sales, rentals, repair services, and a music school that will offer lessons and clinics.
Scarborough Southwest Councillor Gary Crawford is excited about the prospect of what this new store can bring to the community.
“Long and McQuade have a long history in Toronto, and I’m pleased that a new chapter in their history is unfolding in Scarborough Southwest. Scarborough has a wealth of creative talent, and having quality resources available will serve this and surrounding communities well,” he said.
Crawford also spoke briefly about his connection with music and one of the reasons why this store is so important to him personally.
“I know Long and McQuade will be an important employer for the neighbourhood and will be a great resource for seasoned and budding musicians. As a musician, I’ve rented amps and equipment from Long and McQuade many times over the years, and I’m relieved to now have one closer to home.”
The environment that is created by these stores both from the services they offer and the culture they create will be of great importance to the future of the community in the eyes of Crawford.
Going forward, he believes this store will help convert the east end of Danforth Avenue into a “go to destination” for the music community.
Jeff Long is one of the owners of Long and McQuade and he knows all about the impact one his stores can have on a community in a short space of time.
“Generally when we move into an area it does help commerce in the whole area, I can think through history how many times we moved into areas that were not super well established areas and our presence is felt, we tend to bring a lot of customers in and that often economically boosts the whole area.”
In addition to the financial benefits that follow the opening of a new store, Long explained the services in detail that Long and McQuade offers and what separates them from any other music store in the industry.
“We invest fairly heavily into our stores and we try to make the stores very comfortable for everybody. We also have a lot of inventory and we spend a lot of time training our staff to be experts in their fields so they can properly assist their customers. Our policy’s sort of set the standard within the industry.”
There is a confidence amongst all those involved in the opening of this new store that it will be a massive success in the area and replicate some of the successes that Long and McQuade stores have seen in the past when they open in a community.
With population of the Scarborough Southwest rising to more than 110 000 residents since the last census in 2016, there should be no shortage of people interested in the store’s launch date.
According to their website, Long and McQuade already has more than 80 locations all across Canada and this new store on Danforth Avenue will be the 34th to open in Ontario.
The projected date for the opening of the store is set for February but that is not set in stone as of yet.
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