TABIA - Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas

You’ve got it all planned out this year. You’ve made your list carefully. Your fake sick call to your boss was an Oscar-worthy performance, enabling you to shop on a Wednesday afternoon and avoid the crowds. You sally forth to do your holiday shopping filled with a wonderful sense of peace on earth and goodwill toward men.

While much has been said about the long overdue revitalization of Regent Park, another community just to the north will also be getting a facelift, with the first changes coming as early as this summer.

More than two years after community members voted to call the area The Beach, the local business improvement area (BIA) in partnership with the City of Toronto is now unveiling the first "Beach" street sign.

"The city considers this to be a total victory," said city lawyer Brendan O'Callahan in an interview Wednesday March 4, after poring over the 54-page decision from the OMB nixing the plans. "SmartCentres couldn't prove that they would not destabilize the remaining employment area. The employment area is too sensitive to allow such a large parcel to go predominantly retail. That's a total victory."

To our friends on the Hill and at Queens Park:

With all due respect, the solution to our current economic situation need not be of bail outs and continued subsidies that have proven over and over not to guarantee any true job retention or long term benefits.

Harbord Street BIA Pumpkin Festival was a huge success.We had a fantastic night. We thought if 200 pumpkins arrived it would be a success. We had 450 pumpkins in total.

We hoped for 200 visitor's. We had over 2,000+ visitor's throughout the night. A few professional photographers informed us they have never seen so many people take so many photo's at an event.

It was estimated 25,000 photo's were taken throughout the event

With the construction of the dedicated streetcar lanes along St. Clair Avenue between Dufferin Street and Oakwood Avenue scheduled to start in August, businesses are anticipating more congested traffic.

Provincial BIA Association renames accolade after Alex Ling
By Kelly Gadzala

Local BIA selects new mascot after month-long contest

Cuddly golden retriever character to represent the Beach

After a month-long search, the Beach Business Improvement Area has chosen a new mascot.

The local business association received dozens of entries, many of which revolved around dogs, said chair Charles Cameron in a release.

The project, similar in scope to another local initiative that took place last summer and fall, will also include a contest to find the best artist.

Ideas must be submitted by July 14

The Beach Business Improvement Area is looking for a cuddly mascot to represent the Beach at local festivals and citywide events.

"We thought that a mascot would be an ideal promoter of the Beach," said the BIA's Vice-Chair Rick Gabriele in a release.

Town Crier - Beach Riverdale
By Melissa Sundardas

The supplies needed to help rid the Beach of graffiti now conveniently come in a backpack.

Beach(es) Beat

On Saturday, April 26, a group of high school art students will transfer their original sketches onto 14 Bell utility boxes throughout the community. In the event on inclement weather, the event will be held on Sunday, April 27.

"Lionel Miskin, who heads the tax committee for the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas, said the impact of the ruling is "unpredictable."

A greater worry is the recent end of a two-year freeze on assessments, he said: "Huge numbers of our members will see our assessments skyrocketing."

Small business apprehensive about looming assessments

TORONTO October 3, 2007 - One issue which has received scant attention in the Ontario Election Campaign is the current value property tax and it's effect on small business.