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| MAN OF BUSINESS: Alex Ling, past chair of TABIA, holds the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association’s Founder’s Award. |
Alex Ling pauses in mid-sentence:
“Hi Kevin,” he says to the Canada Post mail carrier.
It’s just one example of Ling’s ability to engage the community.
Fittingly so, the Bloor St. West businessman and owner of Ling’s Importers was recently honoured with the Founder’s Award from The Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA).
Ling founded the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) in 1980, an organization that now represents 66 BIAs across Toronto. He was also an important player in the forming of the Bloor West Village BIA in 1970, which he chaired for 24 years.
Ling says he’s delighted by the award, even considering the tumultuous past relationship between him and the Ontario association. One that saw him kicked off the OBIAA board over a disagreement about TABIA’s membership fees to the Ontario association.
Though Ling says he knew he was being recognized when he went to the April 28 ceremony in Collingwood, Ont., he says he wasn’t expecting a standing ovation from over 200 people.
“I was almost in tears.”
The real kicker, he says, was when it was announced the award would hereafter be known as the Alex Ling Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ling says he received the award because of his contributions outside Toronto.
“I’m always helping any BIA that needs it.”
He tells the story of making the front page of the Bolton newspaper after advising its BIA board to build an overpass and market Bolton as a heritage place.
He also recalls taking the day off and driving to Ottawa one winter day when a BIA in the city’s Chinatown area called upon him for help. On his way, he stopped off in Perth and had lunch with the BIA board there.
A BIA’s role, Ling says, is to spend money to promote the area as a shopping district, to the benefit of business and the community.
“Bring feet on the street,” he says.
When asked about the achievement he’s most proud of, Ling refocuses the question on the Bloor West Village BIA, of which he is still an active member as past-chair.
This past Earth Day, a group of residents approached Ling about marching along Bloor St. West with candles. They could have gone to a park or somewhere else, he says, but they didn’t.
“That really hits me in my heart,” he says. “All these years we’ve been talking to people saying, ‘support your local business.’ When they come and want to march on Bloor St., we’ve done a good job.”
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