About Gasbusters
GASBUSTERS is a community-led initiative backed by more than 600 citizens, 18 residential groups, and 12 environmental organizations.
Together, we’re calling for a phase-out of 2 stroke, gas-powered leaf blowers in favor of quieter, zero-pollution emission alternatives.
Our campaign is grounded in scientific evidence showing the serious health risks caused by the noise and pollution from these machines.
The message is clear: gas-powered leaf blowers threaten our health and environment.
It’s time to choose a cleaner, quieter future.
Why Gas Leaf Blowers Are So Harmful
Most professional backpack gas-powered leaf blowers are two-stroke engines, which burn a mixture of gasoline and oil. Because of their inefficient design, combustion is incomplete—up to one-third of the fuel mixture is emitted directly into the air as fine aerosolized droplets. This exhaust contains cancer-causing chemicals, toxic gases, and particulate pollution, which contribute to poor air quality and pose serious health risks for operators and nearby residents.
They’re among the dirtiest engines in everyday use today. In fact, running a 2 stroke gas-powered leaf blower for just one hour produces as much smog-forming pollution as driving a car from Toronto to Halifax—over 1,700 km.
These engine types emit harmful pollutants, including:
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5): tiny particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
Carbon monoxide: a dangerous gas that limits oxygen delivery throughout the body.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): precursors to smog and linked to cancer and other serious health risks.
Toxic chemicals: lingering in the air, posing particular harm to children, seniors, and people with heart or lung disease.
Restricting gas-powered leaf blowers is a practical, science-based measure to protect public health and improve air quality in our communities.
Why Banning Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Matters
Noise
City of Toronto’s noise bylaw sets healthy decibel limit at 70 decibels (dB)A
To understand how loud a sound is, consider these common comparisons:
A normal conversation: 70 dB
Electric Blower: 60-78 dB
A vacuum cleaner: 70-80 dB
A typical car: 70-90 dB
4 stroke leaf blower: 80-95 dB (4 stroke engines run on straight gasoline)
Motorcycle: 91 dB
Rock concert: 106 dB
2-stroke leaf blower: 95 -110 dB (2 stroke engines run on mixture of gas and oil)
An emergency siren: 100-120 dB
Health Risks of High Noise Exposure from 2 cycle Leaf Blowers
Health Safety Guidance:
Hearing shouldn’t be taken for granted. 1 in 5 young people have hearing loss by the age of 19. Since sound energy doubles, every 3 dB increase cuts the safe exposure time causing 10 times the damage. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends keeping noise exposure below 85 dBA.
Backpack 2-stroke leaf blower: 95 -110 dB commonly exceed this limit.
Health Impacts of Loud Noise
Prolonged or repeated exposure to high noise levels can lead to more than just hearing loss. Research links chronic noise exposure to:
Stress, fatigue, and anxiety
Sleep disturbances and depression
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes
Hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition in North America and is strongly linked to cognitive decline and dementia. Mild hearing loss in children affects classroom performance. 37% of children with only minimal hearing loss fail at least one grade.
According to the CDC, noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable. Protecting your hearing is simple and affordable: if a sound seems too loud, it probably is—and it poses a real risk to your health.
Leaf Blowers and Noise Exposure
2 -stroke gas-powered leaf blowers produce sound levels of 95–110 dB, according to the CDC.
These levels can cause permanent hearing damage in minutes without proper hearing protection.
Operators and bystanders are both at risk of harmful exposure.
By contrast, electric leaf blowers generate significantly less noise, reducing health risks and making it easier to comply with local noise ordinances.
Air Pollution
Among the harmful agents in polluted air are tiny floating specks known as Particulates, mainly from fossil fuels. Lodging deep in the lungs, they may contribute to serious health issues. Air polluted by exhaust fumes may contain a cocktail of of chemicals that affect the lungs, heart and brain and may even trigger certain forms of cancer.
Pollutants can harm health in different ways depending on the type, amount, and duration of exposure, as well as a person’s age, health status, and genetic susceptibility.
A recent study confirms links between air pollution and cardiovascular and respiratory death rates.
The dangers generally fall into a few main categories:
1- Respiratory System Effects
Air pollutants like Particulate Matter (PM₂.₅, PM₁₀), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) can:
Irritate airways, causing coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Trigger or worsen asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Increase the risk of lung infections.
Long-term exposure can lead to reduced lung function and lung cancer.
2- Cardiovascular System Effects
Air pollution doesn’t just stay in the lungs — fine particles can enter the bloodstream.
· Increased blood pressure and heart rate·
. Greater risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
· Acceleration of atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries).
The leaf blower story.
The two-cycle gas-powered leaf blower is notoriously inefficient. The engine technology is 150 years old.
Because the combustion is incomplete, 30% of the fuel/oil mix is emitted unburned, releasing toxic pollutants into the air we breathe.
The 2 stroke/cycle leaf blower remains more popular among professional for hand/backpack blowers. But it is a major source of unsafe air pollution, releasing cancer-causing chemicals into the air. One example is the concentration of benzene in a gas leaf blower exhaust can be nearly 100 times higher than that emitted by cars. Decades of research have shown that inhaling emissions from gas-powered leaf blowers is unhealthy. Pollutant chemicals and particles from hundreds of two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers in Toronto degrade air quality.
25% to 30% of the leaf blower emission released into the air is a toxic mix of unburned gas and oil.
What We’ve Done
As an educational resource we provide the public with information and raise awareness about the serious health risks and environmental hazards associated with gas/oil leaf blowers and related garden equipment.
Frequently spoke at the Infrastructure & Environment Committee (IEC) about noise and pollution and the significant impact from 2 stroke gas-powered leaf blowers on both our environment and the quality of life in our communities.
Deputed numerous times at the Noise Bylaw Review, Municipal Licensing & Standards and the Economic & Community Development Committee about the harmful noise from the high powered, commercial gas/oil leaf blowers.
Monitored and responded to City of Toronto initiatives that can help achieve our goal of banning the use of gas leaf blowers and related garden equipment.
Encouraged Councillors to pass a by-law banning the use of two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers, so the landscape industry has time to transition.
Built broad public support for a ban.
“Momentum’s Here-Let’s Finish the Job”
CITY COUNCIL
2001 (25 years ago), Dr Sheela Basrur, Toronto Medical Officer, submitted a report to Council to prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers . It was not passed at City Council.
July 2023 , City Council expressed support for the ban “as a precaution against any adverse impacts to human health and climate. “The decision to transition to zero emissions outdoor power equipment was approved (2023.IE5.1 ) City Staff were instructed to carry out consultations and determine the resources needed to develop and enforce the ban and submit a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2024
May 21, 2025 City Council made a decision to not ban the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.
“ City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry to report back in 2027 on progress to transition City-owned equipment from two-stroke engine to electric, as well as an update on the communication campaign to encourage Toronto businesses and residents to choose quieter, zero emission equipment, with such report to include updated jurisdictional scan of other North American jurisdictions that are transitioning their internal operations to zero-emission outdoor power equipment or have enacted community restrictions or bans.”
November 13. 2025 City Council passed a motion from Councillor Dianne Saxe motion- inspired by Gasbusters- directing that on days when wildfire smoke pushes Toronto’s Air Quality Health Index into high or very high-risk levels (7-10), city operations, businesses and residents should, wherever practical and feasible, refrain from using two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers. The motion also instructs the Chief Communications Officer to use all appropriate City communication channels to convey this guidance to businesses and residents.
JOIN GASBUSTERS
As awareness of the health risks associated with gas-powered leaf blowers increases, GASBUSTERS relies on your support to grow its membership and strengthen its collective voice.
What You Can Do
Take Action to Support the Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers and Garden Equipment
According to a report from McGill University, degrading air quality in Canada contributes to 15,000 premature deaths annually. The large number of these inefficient machines in Toronto pose serious health risks.
Email your municipal councillor to show your support for transitioning away from 2 stroke gas-powered lawn equipment.
CC, Mayor Chow at mayor_chow@toronto.ca and urge her to support a bylaw
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Talk to your neighbours and community members. Raise awareness and encourage local engagement.
Share our 2-page handout (see Resources) to help educate others about the benefits of the ban.
Spread the word to your family, friends, and others who care about clean air and quieter neighbourhoods
We encourage all constituents to use their voice to fight for Toronto and improve the quality of life.
Join our campaign and be part of a growing movement working toward a healthier, more sustainable Toronto.
We’ll keep you updated on progress and let you know how to make your voice heard at City Hall.
. As a resident of Toronto your voice is powerful. You elect city councillors to represent your interests.
Join Gasbusters
Change how you care for your lawn.
Leave the leaves
Do we really need blowers on hardscape driveways?
Taking an ecological approach means rethinking our landscaping choices. Blowing away every leaf doesn’t just clear the driveway — it removes valuable habitat for countless creatures. Leaves shelter pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and moths, as well as amphibians, insects, and small mammals like chipmunks.
By reducing the size of your lawn, adding more garden beds, and letting leaves lie where they fall, the need for leaf blowers drops dramatically.
Your neighbours — and the local wildlife — will thank you.
Talk to your landscaper or property manager about changing landscaping methods
Hire lawn care services that use battery-powered lawn care equipment. If you are renting, talk to your property manager about switching from loud gas leaf blowers.
Tell your Councillor you want gas-powered leaf blowers banned
Gasbusters Organizing Committee
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John Watt
John Watt is a fourth-generation Torontonian, living with his family in Deer Park.
John has a passion for the environment and the health and safety of our community. His inspiration is Fred Rogers, host of the children's television show ‘Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.’ John believes, like Fred Rogers, that each one of us has something valuable to bring to their neighbourhood, something that connects them as neighbours.
John joined Dundee Staunton, his neighbour, in starting the "Gasbusters" campaign, aimed at supporting the ban of 2-stroke gasoline-powered gardening equipment in Toronto and eliminating the damaging effects on our health and the environment.
Recently, John received the "Outstanding Neighbour Award" and a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee pin for his work with Gasbusters, recognized for his efforts in fighting climate change and noise pollution to make the lives of neighbours and the community better. "Won't You be My Neighbour"?
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Dundee Staunton
Dundee Staunton is a retired entrepreneur who lives in the Deer Park neighbourhood of Toronto.
Dundee is a Director, Decision Point Research Inc., an international market research firm, Vice-Chair, The Mosaic Institute, a charity which equips communities with tools to dismantle prejudice, and Chapter Chair, Innovators Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that assists CEOs of Ontario-based companies to integrate innovation into their strategic plans.
An advocate of action to improve our environment and living conditions, in 2020 he co-founded Gasbusters with friend and neighbour John Watt to rally residents to work towards a ban of gas-powered leaf blowers because of their noise-producing and polluting properties.
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Harold Smith, B. Arch, MBA, LEED AP
Harold Smith is a retired architect with a strong interest in ecological sustainability.
He passionately advocates for a quieter and more sustainable Toronto and the preservation and protection of Ontario’s natural spaces including the Greenbelt.
Harold is a director of the Lytton Park Residents Organization, past Co-President of the North American Native Plant Society, Life Member of the Bruce Trail Conservancy and member of the Field Botanists of Ontario.
Harold is also deeply committed to a number of other activist organizations including the Toronto Noise Coalition, Cycle Toronto and SCAN,
He enjoys native plant gardening, protecting pollinators, hiking, and playing violin.
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Gail Bebee (retired)
Gail Bebee believes in volunteering to help make her community a great place to live.
She has served as President of the Bayview Village Association, her local residents’ association, and is currently a member of the Environment Committee.
Gail is an avid gardener. She has served as President of the North York Garden Club, a volunteer organization that promotes the love of gardening. She is a member of Toronto Master Gardeners and enjoys volunteering her time to provide advice to home gardeners in the Toronto area.
Gail’s science and engineering background - B.Sc. (Honours Biology), M.Eng. (Environmental Engineering), Certified Industrial Hygienist – provides a strong foundation for critically assessing the environment, health, and safety implications of gas-powered lawn care equipment. She is volunteering with Gasbusters because she believes that stopping the harm caused by gas powered leaf blowers and other garden equipment will significantly improve the health of our local environment including the plants, animals and people who live here.
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Chris Keating
Chris Keating was the founder of Keating Educational Tours and Breakaway Ski Tours.
With his son, he is the owner of Hotel du Vieux Quebec, Quebec City. The hotel has been awarded 5/5 Green Keys from the Hotel Association of Canada’s environmental Green Key Leaf Eco-Rating Program each year since 2009.
He has held various positions on the board of the Deer Park Residents Group. He was Chair of the Noise and Pollution Action Committee, and the Heritage Committee.
In 2019 he heard Monty McDonald speak on CBC’s Sunday Edition about the dangers of gas-powered leaf blowers and immediately wanted to become involved. He brought together Monty McDonald, Harold Smith with Gasbusters John Watt and Dundee Staunton.
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Monty McDonald P. Eng, MBA (retired)
Monty , retired Chemical Engineer, lives in Bayview Village. He had extensive experience in the Petrochemical Industry when many chemicals used and produced were carcinogens. This necessitated complete and costly reengineering of manufacturing and distribution operations to ensure plant workers and the public were not exposed to them. This influenced his role as Chair of The Bayview Village Environment Committee, partnering with Canadian Tire to encourage residents to exchange highly polluting Two Cycle lawn and garden equipment for clean running alternatives. He also teamed up with early Gasbusters in 2019 to encourage Councillor Shelley Carroll to present her first Member’s Motion to ban gas-powered leaf blowers in Toronto..
Monty founded a not-for-profit company of volunteers (Vimy Oaks Legacy) repatriating descendant trees from acorns gathered in WW1 at Vimy Ridge by a Canadian soldier and planted on his Scarborough farm. In 2018 one hundred and twenty trees were planted back on the Vimy Battlefield in a Centennial Park beside the Canadian Memorial.