It’s no secret - actually it’s a point so badly belaboured it’s worthy of its own moratorium - that the epicentre of Toronto’s youth culture is moving ever westward.

The explosion of bars on Ossington has been the subject of much contention and warranted its own cap in the last year, but the neighbourhood, despite all of its trendy watering holes and late night diners, was still painfully void of one thing - a large, quality music venue.

Enter The Garrison, tucked just west of the white hot Ossington and Dundas corridor on the south side of the latter since October, it looks to capitalize on the constant flow of revelers in the neighbourhood with countless spots to drink at, but few places to watch their favourite bands.

Which is where the space, to its owners’ credit, appears likely to succeed.

With a sizeable bar in front and an even more spacious live music room in the back, dozens of acts had already taken to the elevated stage before the Diableros and Foxfire (pictured) played the free official open house party last Thursday.

Owners Lee Van Veghel and Shaun Bowring are marketing the space as, “bigger than Sneaky Dee’s and smaller than The Horseshoe,” and the wide, non-descript one-level building that was plucked after its previous sports bar tenants were turfed, does feature beloved elements of each.

For one, it already carries longtime Sneaky Dee’s Sunday night feature Wavelength, the venerable new music series that followed former Dee’s booker Bowring to his new spot and in turn lends the venue instant credibility in an already musically-charged neighbourhood.

Yes, the Dakota Tavern is just around the corner, but The Garrison's capacity dwarfs that of the latter, promising a logical and peaceful co-existence between the two.

And while both owners are acutely aware of the ever-changing neighbourhood just steps to the east, they're confident in having tapped a market in need of being catered to.

“I think if I were just opening a bar, I wouldn’t have done it here,” admits Van Veghel. “But something like this, there was definitely room for."

The Garrison features a wide-range of music and non-music events including the first edition of Dylan Reibling’s Movieoke this past Halloween.

For more on the venue and its events, go here.

The Garrison on Facebook

The Garrison owners Shaun Bowring (near) and Lee Van Veghel work the front bar.

aaron.miller@citynews.rogers.com