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“Pop-ups are great PR,” he said of the plans for temporary studios. “They might be able to offer a quick hit of education or fun, but they can’t foster a healthy culture.”

It’s the exact opposite strategy YouTube emphasized when it opened the doors of YouTube Space Toronto at George Brown College three years ago amid a boom in the growth of the creator community.

The 3,500-square-foot facility was accessible to YouTube personalities with more than 10,000 subscribers. The more popular their channels were, the more access they had to studio time. It quickly became a hot spot for Toronto creators to mingle and tap into resources they might not otherwise have, as well as a space to hold launch parties.

Mark Swierszcz, manager of the Toronto space, said in a statement YouTube is looking into options for a different kind of permanent Toronto facility for local creators and “will have more to share very soon about a future home.” The company declined to provide any further details on those plans or when they would take shape.

The Toronto closure comes as YouTube moves away from occupying properties that aren’t owned and operated by its Google parent. Another location in Mumbai, India, that operates on the grounds of a school will close, though studios in other cities, including New York, London, Paris and Los Angeles, will stay open.

Megan MacKay, a Toronto-based YouTuber who utilized the Canadian resources, said she felt the studio was “a really good place for YouTube to cultivate raw talent and give people the opportunity to learn something new.”