Wealthsimple and Nieuport Aviation, the terminal partner at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), have engaged in a three-year agreement that begins with Something to Do, a limited-time pop-up space running until August 31, 2026, inside the transborder terminal, with more to come over the next few years.
Something to Do has been redesigned to reflect the look of the Wealthsimple credit card with black metallic detailing and silver chrome, as well as warm wood touches throughout. The physical build was fabricated by Toronto studio 16 Tonnes, with experiential direction from Gigi Rabnett and Ruthie Luff.
Within Something to Do, travellers can engage with five elements created in collaboration with Canadian brands and artists. These include a print edition of Wealthsimple’s TLDR newsletter, custom travel-themed playlists curated by Polaris Music Prize, coffee from Pilot Coffee Roasters, bespoke wood and metal furniture by Toronto’s East Room, and a custom illustrated mural of a Toronto streetscape, commissioned by Canadian artist Jillian Tamaki.
Transborder passenger volume is expected to significantly increase this summer, boosted further by the FIFA World Cup, with major matches across the Northeast U.S. corridor. “Billy Bishop has always been defined by its unique location and a seamless traveller experience,” said Katie Battiston, chief financial officer of Nieuport Aviation. “Partnering with Wealthsimple allows us to offer passengers a beautifully designed space that adds real value to their time and elevates the travel experience.”
Peter Sobchak, editor-in-chief of Canadian Interiors, sat down with Kate Chippindale, director of integrated marketing, Wealthsimple, who discuss the details of Something to Do.
Peter Sobchak: Airport terminals are among the most operationally complex environments designers can work within, shaped by security protocols, passenger flow, commercial objectives, and a broad range of stakeholder interests. How did those constraints influence your design decisions for Something To Do, and were there moments when the limitations of the space ultimately became catalysts for creativity?
Kate Chippindale: We leaned into the constraints rather than fighting them. A transborder space runs on passenger flow and dwell time, people arrive with a finite, slightly anxious window before boarding, so we couldn’t design something that demanded a lot of a traveller. That shaped the core idea: instead of a sales-led retail environment asking for attention, we built a calm one that offers things freely. Good coffee, a comfortable place to sit, something to read, something to listen to, and friendly Wealthsimplers on hand for anyone curious to learn more before they board. The limited forced dwell time a traveller has became the brief, not the obstacle.
We wanted to flip the script on how brands typically activate in spaces like this. Instead of centring our own objectives, we focused on adding value and genuinely improving the traveller experience — an objective we shared with every key stakeholder at the table. Airports are a rare third space for travellers, and while the payoff for brands is real, getting there isn’t simple. There was no shortage of obstacles along the way: tight timelines, budget constraints, permits, and overnight installations. We were forced to get really creative, finding ways to achieve the premium look and feel we were after without triggering the kind of facilities permit applications that would have set us back by months. The constraints pushed us somewhere more interesting than an open sandbox might have.
PS: The lounge draws heavily on the material language of the Wealthsimple brand, from its black metallic finishes and chrome detailing to the warmer wood elements and collaborations with Canadian makers such as East Room and Jillian Tamaki. How did you translate a digital-first financial brand into a physical environment that feels both experiential and authentically Canadian, rather than simply branded?
KC: We wanted this space to feel like a welcoming, beautiful environment where people actually wanted to spend time, not a marketing billboard. We played with materials inspired by the credit card design: the black metallic and chrome give the space structure and a sense of quality. We complemented those finishes with warm lighting, soft and calming colours on the walls and carpet, and striking visual interest pieces — the sculpture, the mural, the cheeky hidden easter eggs throughout — that pull people in and invite them to explore and learn more. The wood elements and comfortable furniture keep it warm and human, which is really the whole point of the brand in physical form.
As a proudly Canadian brand, it was important to us to partner with local creatives and makers to bring the space to life, and that’s what makes it feel authentic rather than decorative. East Room’s furniture in the space is not only beautiful but also quality and functional. Travellers can relax comfortably, get some work done, and genuinely enjoy the space, not just pass through it. Jillian Tamaki’s mural is a genuine piece of art commissioned for the space, not a logo treatment. Bringing in Pilot Coffee and Polaris means the space is full of things Canadians already know and love, made by people whose craft we admire. A brand can’t manufacture that feeling on its own. You get there by working with makers who are the real thing, and letting their work breathe in the space.
PS: Repurposing a former duty-free area into an immersive destination required coordinating the priorities of Wealthsimple, Nieuport Aviation, airport operations teams, retailers, and security authorities, all while keeping the traveller experience front and centre. What did this project teach you about designing by consensus in a highly regulated setting, and how do you maintain a strong design vision when so many voices are involved?
KC: Building anything inside a live airport terminal teaches you humility, and a lot of patience. A space like this has to meet a high bar on every practical front before a single design decision matters, and we went in knowing the experience had to work flawlessly within those realities. We were fortunate to have a fabrication and production team, 16 Tonnes here in Toronto, alongside our experiential partners, Gigi Rabbnett and Ruthie Luff, who are deeply experienced at delivering ambitious builds within tight operational requirements.
All parties were aligned from the start on what mattered most: centring the traveller experience, finding creative ways to make it genuinely better, and building a beautiful space that guests could enjoy and explore. The Nieuport and airport teams were incredible partners and collaborators — they helped us find creative ways to deliver on our vision within the realities of a live airport environment, and because we all shared the same north star, those moments of constraint became collaborative problem-solving rather than roadblocks. We’re really proud of what we built together and we’re just getting started.
