Untitled - Waterfront BIA

TORONTO FACT SHEET
• Set on the north shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto was created on March 6, 1834, when the settlement
of York was renamed Toronto, the Mohawk word for “meeting place.”
• The British settlement of York was founded as the capital of the new province of Upper Canada by
Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe in the 1790s and had grown to 10,000 people by the 1830s.
Toronto is still the capital of the province, now called Ontario, and is the largest city in Canada, with a
population of 2.4 million, 4.7 million in the Greater Toronto Area.
• One of the most multicultural cities in the world, Toronto is home to more than 80 ethnic groups and
more than 100 languages, and is marked by the diversity of distinct neighbourhoods, cultures and
communities.
TABIA FACT SHEET
• As the number of BIAs in Toronto continued to grow, it became apparent that a formalized
organization was required to provide an ongoing means of collecting and exchanging essential
information and as importantly, addressing issues and common concerns.
• In 1980, a constitution was drawn up and a formal association was established, namely, the Toronto
Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA).
• TABIA is a non-profit umbrella organization representing the City of Toronto’s 60 Business
Improvement Areas who in turn represent more than 25,000 business and property owners.
• The various levels of government recognize that BIAs are the main life-line of the communities. Since
the inception of BIAs, the City of Toronto has been supportive, and has championed the BIA
movement. A special BIA office was established at City Hall, to administer, assist and support the
efforts of the City’s BIAs and TABIA.
Interesting Note:
The BIA concept may have started in Toronto but it has spread throughout the world. Currently there are
more than 230 BIAs in the Province of Ontario and approximately 300 more BIAs can be found
throughout Canada. BIAs can also be found in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, New
Zealand, Jamaica and South Africa. Elsewhere they are known by such names as Business Improvement
Districts (BIDs), Business Improvement Zones (BIZs), Special Improvement Districts, et al.
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