City Council Moves Forward with Two-Stroke Engine Ban

In July, City Council voted to take the first step toward banning two-stroke engines in the City of Toronto. Studies have shown that emissions from small-engine equipment can have negative impacts on human health and the environment, leading to similar bans in Montreal, Vancouver, and a number of U.S. cities. 

Two-stroke engines are gasoline or diesel burning engines primarily found in lawn care equipment like leaf blowers and lawn mowers. I often hear from residents across Ward 15 – Don Valley West who have concerns about the resulting noise and air pollution from these devices. 

In their report, City staff identified that the marketplace is already shifting to electric alternatives, which are quieter, less polluting, and cost-competitive with traditional two-stroke equipment. 

As a next step, City staff will develop an implementation strategy to ban two-stroke engine equipment in Toronto in consultation with impacted stakeholders, which will be presented to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee later this year.