Newsletter, November 21, 2025
Hello Gasbusters
City Council passed a motion by Councillor Dianne Saxe that drew directly on the work and persistence of Gasbusters—proof that collective advocacy works. A huge thank-you to everyone who emailed their support of this initiative. Your actions mattered.
The motion directs that, on days when Toronto’s Air Quality Health Index reaches high or very high-risk levels (7–10), City operations,businesses, and residents will be encouraged to refrain—where practical and feasible—from using two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers and other devices with similar polluting effects.
Council has also requested that the Chief Communications Officer coordinate messaging across the City’s communication channels to ensure this guidance reaches residents and businesses.
This result represents a meaningful breakthrough. Going forward, when the Medical Officer of Health issues a Special Air Quality Statement on high-pollution wildfire smoke days, the City will now include more explicit guidance encouraging Torontonians not to use gas-powered leaf blowers.
This is a modest but important step in the larger effort to transition away from these highly polluting devices, and it creates a valuable foundation for future progress with Toronto City Council.
We continue to need your help to increase public awareness of the perils associated with ongoing usage of gas leaf blowers and related garden equipment.
Please encourage others to join Gasbusters—the more members we have, the stronger will be our collective voice in influencing councillors and creating a path to cleaner, healthier air for Toronto.
All the best,
Gasbusters Organizing Committee
