Toronto City Council has voted not to ban gas-powered, small engine equipment like leaf blowers and hedge trimmers.
Councillors instead opted to have the city lead by example by transitioning its lawn equipment from gas to electric, as well as launch an education and awareness campaign to encourage Torontonians and businesses to do the same.
Whether to ban noisy, gas-guzzling lawn-equipment has been up for debate in Toronto for 25 years.
The issue came back into the limelight in 2023 when city staff determined the two-stroke engines used by many leaf blowers and hedge trimmers could have negative effects on climate, health and noise.
In the wake of the staff report, city councillors expressed support for a ban and directed staff to determine the resources required to implement it.
However, a ban is not to be.
On the recommendation of the infrastructure and environment committee, councillors voted to take a lighter touch.
Banning the devices would cost roughly $2.8 million over four years, per the staff report, as well as $350,000 annually for enforcement.
In contrast, a public awareness campaign educating the community and businesses about the pitfalls of gas-powered leaf blowers will cost just $25,000 per year.
Staff were asked to report back in 2027 on how the city’s transition to greener lawn equipment is progressing. A recent audit found the city owns 267 two-stroke leaf blowers, 306 four-stroke leaf blowers and 94 battery-powered ones. Four-stroke engines are considered more modern and fuel-efficient.
Ahead of this week’s vote, some local organizations urged councillors to take a tougher stand.
Tom Cohen, chair of the Eglinton Park Residents’ Association, called for the “out-dated machines” to be banned.
“Their notorious, noxious particulates … do untold harm to human bodies, both of the men and women who employ the blowers, and to others near them,” Cohen wrote to the infrastructure and environment committee.
“And their racket shatters the peace of summer days, adding to the urban noise pollution that undermines both peace of mind and health of bodies.”
How-Sen Chong, a climate campaigner with Toronto Environmental Alliance, said the pollution generated by running a two-stroke leaf blower for one hour is comparable to driving a sedan between Toronto and Halifax.
His group believes that the five-year timeline laid out in the proposed ban would have given businesses enough time to make the transition to electric equipment.
