Toronto keeps studying the problem while other cities are solving it.
Cities across North America are Taking Action.
More than 200 cities across North America, along with several U.S. states, have taken action to address gas-powered lawn and landscaping equipment. Communities are recognizing that cleaner, quieter battery-powered equipment is a practical, eco-friendly alternative to highly polluting gas-powered machines. Canada is lagging, but momentum for change is growing.
Policies and programs addressing two-stroke gas-powered equipment have now been adopted in 27 U.S. States including;
Restrictions on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, including seasonal and time-of-day limits.
Bans or phase-outs of gas-powered equipment, including restrictions on the sale of new equipment.
Financial incentives that help residents, landscapers and businesses transition to cleaner, quieter battery-powered equipment.
California has led the way, ending the retail sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers beginning in 2024. Other communities have gone further. Cambridge, Massachusetts; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; Stamford, Connecticut; and Greenwich, Connecticut have adopted bans or prohibitions targeting two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers. In Canada they are banned in Vancouver’s West End. Montreal has banned them in 7 boroughs and restricted their use in 7 others.
The message from communities across North America is increasingly clear: the conversion away from gas-powered landscaping equipment is not only possible—it is already underway.
Toronto has an opportunity to join this growing movement and protect residents from unnecessary noise and air pollution by accelerating the transition to cleaner, quieter electric landscaping equipment.
Leaf blower noise and pollution are not experienced equally across all Toronto neighbourhoods.
Wards with high concentrations of apartment buildings, condominiums, commercial properties, and professionally maintained landscapes experience far more frequent landscaping activity than other parts of the city. As a result, residents in these neighbourhoods may be exposed to the noise, toxic exhaust emissions, and airborne dust from 2 stroke gas-powered leaf blowers every day—or several times a week—while residents in other wards encounter these impacts only occasionally.
Residents who bear the greatest burden of this noise and pollution deserve to have their experiences accurately measured and reflected in City policy. Ward-based research would provide City Council with a clearer understanding of where the impacts are most severe, ensuring that the voices of those most affected are not overlooked when decisions are made.
Council’s past decisions to pursue a ban.
November 13. 2025 City Council passed a motion requesting that, when Toronto’s Air Quality Health Index is at high to very high-risk levels (7-10), city operations, businesses and residents refrain whenever possible from operating highly polluting engines, such as two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers and request the Chief Communications Officer to coordinate the use of the City's various communication channels to get this message to businesses and residents.
May 21, 2025 City Council made a decision to postpone banning 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 2-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.
July 20, 2023 City Council supported a future ban on two-stroke small engine equipment (such as leaf blowers and gas trimmers) to protect health and climate. City Staff were instructed to carry out consultations and determine the budget resources needed to develop and enforce the ban and submit a report to the Infrastructure and Environment Committee in 2024
January 30, 2023 —Infrastructure and Environment Committee directed the City Manager to report back to the April 26, 2023 meeting of Infrastructure and Environment Committee with a plan to implement a ban on use of two-stroke engine leaf blowers, lawnmowers and other small engine equipment because of their adverse impact on air quality and human health.
July 19, 2022— City Council adopted the Report on Outstanding Noise Issues. In its decision City Council amended Toronto Municipal Code , Noise, Section and directed the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, to undertake public education on appropriate use of lawn equipment and to report back during the Noise Bylaw Review in 2023 regarding options for setting decibel limits for power devices.
December 15, 2021, City Council expressed its support for a ban on use of two-stroke engine leaf blowers, lawnmowers and other small engine equipment and vehicles and requested a report back on the implementation of a ban as part of the noise update report in 2022.
Attachment – Small Engine Lawn and Garden Equipment, responded to a request to report on the environmental and associated health impacts of gasoline-powered, two-stroke engine leaf blowers and other similarly operated garden equipment, including the feasibility of a year-round ban or a ban from May to September.
October 26, 2021 – Infrastructure and Environment Committee to report back in the first quarter of 2022 with a transition plan and feasibility assessment of phasing out gas-powered leaf blowers for municipal use by 2025.
September 30, 2020: City Council adopted Request to Study the Environmental Impact of Two-Stroke Engine Garden Equipment which requested the City Manager, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, to report back in the first quarter of 2021 on the environmental and associated health impacts of gasoline powered two-stroke engine leaf blowers and other similarly operated garden equipment, including the feasibility of a year-round ban or a ban from May to September.
Council also requested the City Manager, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health and the Executive Director of Municipal Licensing and Standards, to report back on the noise generated from gas-powered and electric leaf blowers and other similar garden equipment, including the feasibility of a year-round ban or a ban from May to September
July 4, 2017– City Council adopted the report, TransformTO: Climate Action for a Healthy, Equitable and Prosperous Toronto; “The Pathway to a Low Carbon Future– Evaluation of Potential Additions to TransformTO
Other actions you can do.
Educate your neighbours and building management about the harm caused by noisy 2 stroke gas-powered leaf blowers.
Tell your city councillor you want the city to transition from the use of gas- powered leaf blowers.
Join Gasbusters in our campaign to prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers and related garden equipment and we’ll keep you informed of the latest developments.
