For the unversed, Lots of Play is our free summer event series that transforms everyday parking lots into vibrant community spaces filled with creativity, connection, and play. Alongside our partner Vibe Arts, we create engaging experiences through interactive workshops, live performances, hands-on activities and special giveaways for people of all ages.
Voices from the Community
“Through our programming, we try to reflect what resonates specifically with the community. We also work with artists that live geographically nearby and may have shared lived experiences with the community.”
Hannah Doucet, Director, Programs and Mentorship, Vibe Arts
“We do have our regulars who come every single week, and activations like this give them more of a reason to come and shop here. People come in dancing as they walk in to shop; it’s great to see it.”
Elorie Stirling, Loblaws Store Manager
“These workshops were amazing. Thank you for giving my children a reason to be outside, get fresh air, and do something together. I also love the aspect of multiculturalism in the programming—from the artist playing Jembe, which is South American, to another playing a ukulele, which is Western. It’s such a beautiful interplay of the city as a microcosm.”
Ailes, Community Resident
The Impact of Placemaking
Placemaking brings people together. We collaborate with artists, community partners, and neighbours to transform our properties into active, welcoming spaces that leverage our assets to enhance our social impact goals in the communities we operate in.
This year’s edition of Lots of Play delivered measurable results:
| 2,600+ engaged participants across 10 days of programming* | 12,000+ brand impressions through on-site activation** |
Read More
Learn about our approach to placemaking in the latest ESG Report.
*Engagement is calculated as the number of people who stayed more than a minute.
**Impressions refers to people who spent more than a minute in the activation area.