Results tagged “tabia”

Kensington Market will soon be designated a BIA (that is, a business improvement area), pending near-certain approval by City Council this winter, according to a city staff report, released on Monday. A few area business owners have mixed feelings about the impending designation, but many see it as the best way of ensuring the future of the chaotic little neighbourhood in the heart of Toronto.

Pity the poor shopper just trying to muddle through a holiday checklist. As economic and environmental issues continue to dominate the news, shopping is becoming an increasingly fraught experience—how and where we spend our money is now a subject of moral analysis. In the last few days we’ve been buying artisanal, buying a lot, and buying nothing at all. This week’s message: buy local. Cities across North America are celebrating Buy Local Week from December 1–7. Toronto’s participation is co-sponsored by TABIA, the association of business improvement areas, and Green Enterprise Toronto. The goal is to encourage Torontonians to purchase items that are produced locally, and to make these purchases at local independent retailers. The idea is that local businesses employ and spend locally in turn, thus creating a positive feedback loop that strengthens Toronto’s economy.