Alex Ling, the highly regarded and dynamic merchant who conceived the Toronto Association of BIAs (TABIA) has died at home at the age of 86. Mr. Ling and his wife Helen moved to the Bloor West Village in Toronto in 1971. A post at the TABIA website recalls that the couple thought they wouldn’t be so busy but this was not the case. “Alex became involved in the BIA right away. He was first elected as chair in 1979 and worked very hard for the Bloor West Village BIA and the neighbourhood. In the early 1980s, with the help of City Hall, he started the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) to give support to all BIAs in the City of Toronto. Alex ate and slept the BIA philosophy. He loved the work and the challenge of the job. He was TABIA’s President for 19 years and in 2001 he finally engineered himself to Past President. In 2004 Alex became Chairman of the Bloor West Village BIA by promising to continue to help out, staying on as a board member.”
