TABIA Celebrates CEO John Kiru on Receiving Lifetime Achievement Award
The Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) is pleased to congratulate Chief Executive Officer John Kiru on being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Outstanding Canadian Academy. This distinguished honour recognizes John’s exceptional contributions to Toronto’s main streets and the broader small business ecosystem.
For more than four decades, John has been a leading voice in local economic development, municipal planning, and Business Improvement Area (BIA) advancement. Under his leadership, TABIA has expanded to represent 85 BIAs and more than 90,000 businesses and property owners across the City of Toronto.
John is widely regarded for his visionary work in founding Digital Main Street, the nationally recognized program that has supported over 120,000 small businesses in adopting digital tools and technologies. His advocacy was instrumental in the creation of the Small Business Property Tax Sub-class, delivering significant financial relief to small businesses throughout Toronto.
Throughout his career, John has contributed to numerous advisory bodies, including the Ontario BIA Association, the City of Toronto’s Toronto Music Advisory Committee, and several provincial and municipal committees. He also served as President and Chair of the Canadian National Exhibition Association.
This award reflects not only John’s accomplishments, but also his enduring commitment to strengthening local communities. His combination of expertise, strategic insight, and authentic leadership has made a lasting impact on Toronto’s economic and cultural landscape.
TABIA is proud to celebrate this milestone and extends its warmest congratulations to John on this well-deserved recognition.
