Toronto Ontario city council voted this week to ban gas-powered lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and week whackers from the city.
Cheers to beer in parks, but gas weed-whacker ban needs to be cut | Toronto Sun | Brian Lilley:
July 19, 2021 - "City council passed two different motions on Wednesday: One looking to allow an activity that is already happening, the other to ban something the city has no ability to enforce.
"Council gave the go-ahead to allow a pilot project to allow consumption of alcohol in 22 of the city’s roughly 1,500 parks between Aug. 2 and Oct. 9. The motion requires city staff to prepare a report on the pilot project and report back in early 2024. The province gave municipalities the ability to allow alcohol consumption in city parks years ago. Many municipalities did so simply by removing their existing bylaws, but not Toronto....
"My first time in High Park after moving here in my 20s was to watch a play in the park, which I did while drinking a bottle of wine like most of those around me. That was in the 1990s and it’s still happening in parks, at the beach and elsewhere without much in the way of an issue, but we had to debate it still and demand a report....
"Moments later, council went from being permissive to restrictive, deciding that even if two-stroke engines powering weed whackers, leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other small engine equipment are legal, they shouldn’t be used in Toronto. The motion called for city staff to 'identify the resources required to develop and implement a ban on two-stroke equipment.'
"The ban would cover city workers using the equipment and residents. For residents struggling to transition, the motion called for staff to look into the ability to set up a lending library for electric versions of lawn equipment that residents could borrow...
"What’s fascinating about this proposed ban is that the city has little ability to enforce such a ban. Buying the equipment would still be legal unless and until the federal government passes legislation to ban it. Even if local stores stopped carrying the equipment, there would be nothing to stop residents from driving outside of city limits to buy their lawnmower or weed whacker or ordering them online.
"It’s certain that some residents would rat out neighbours using gas-powered lawn gear, but what could the city do? The city can’t enforce existing bylaws and has allowed encampments to take over parks across the city, but some councillors want to make stopping you from using a weed whacker a priority."
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