A well-attended meeting at Leaside library Wednesday night heard Alex Ling speak about the Business Improvement Area concept. Mr. Ling is perhaps the most prominent figure in the BIA phenomenon as practiced in Toronto. He was the moving force behind the creation of the Bloor West Village BIA and later went on to head up the umbrella group, Toronto Area BIA (or TABIA). The 40 or so people at last night’s meeting represented shopkeepers, property owners and interested parties regarding a BIA for the South Bayview business district. Prospective boundaries of such a BIA might be Davisville Ave on the south and Parkhurst Blvd. on the north, the attendees heard. The particulars of budgeting and election protocol were discussed. Mr.Ling amused his listeners by recalling that the first budget for the Bloor West BIA was merely $47,000. In the beginning, the BIA focused on improvements in lighting which have evolved into fixtures styled after gas lamps but which are in fact LED. It is perhaps an instructional fact to note that the Bloor West body is the only BIA “of its size” in Toronto that does not employ a BIA Coordinator, those salaried persons who do much of the work. The lesson to be taken is that it is much better, and cheaper, for members to get busy and do it themselves. Incredibly, some BIA’s spend up to 60% of their budgets on administration. Mr. Ling was noted by some to be an extremely valuable asset even now to Bloor West. As a final bit of advice to aspiring BIA founders he said the BIA must be fun. “Have fun doing it, or else forget it,” he warned at the meeting. Among those present were John Parker, Ward 26, Virginia Evoy, Staff, John Parker’s Office, Chloe Richer, Constituency Assistant, Josh Matlow’s Office (Josh Matlow was unable to attend, due to prior commitments), Mike Major, Manager, City of Toronto BIA Office, Mr. Ling, Steering Committee Members, Trae (Smokin’ Cigar) and Grant (The Source). Also seen were Ruth and Harry Goldhar among many others.
