E-Blast: Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Under Review: Have Your Say!

Yesterday, the Infrastructure and Environment Committee met at City Hall and considered a long-awaited report on the feasibility of banning leaf blowers and other lawn equipment powered by two-stroke gas engines.

For many years, I’ve supported a ban on small equipment powered by two-stroke engines whenever the opportunity arises. These engines burn oil and gas in a way that releases high levels of pollutants, which harm air quality and put people’s health at risk. Leaf blowers used to rely heavily on these engines, but thankfully, that’s starting to shift.

Sales of corded electric and battery-powered lawn equipment for homeowners are on the rise, thanks to significant improvements in quality and affordability. In fact, on most consumer retail websites, you now have to scroll quite far to find gas-powered blowers or mowers. The City has the power to propose a ban, but you, the consumer, seem to be leading the way by already choosing cleaner options.

Where we can make the most impact now is in the professional use of lawn equipment. The City of Toronto still has 3,500 pieces of gas-powered lawn equipment in our inventory. While some landscaping companies are starting to transition to electric or battery-powered tools, many continue to use older gas models for as long as they remain functional.

Most complaints to my office about leaf blower noise and fumes come during the summer months. That’s when lawn care companies, well beyond the leaf-clearing season, use blowers to clean up grass clippings and tidy properties. When these aren’t electric, we are subjected to unnecessary noise and pollution from two-stroke engines.

All of this brings us to the report discussed yesterday. City staff have presented two options for Council to consider.

Option A: Lead by Example

City staff would continue their current practice of not purchasing gas-powered small engine equipment. The existing inventory would be phased out as quickly as budgets allow, just as 24 out of 25 other cities studied have done. This option would also include annual funding for an education campaign encouraging homeowners and businesses to voluntarily move away from two-stroke engines.

Option B: Full Ban (Phased-In)

Council could still choose to adopt a full ban. This would begin with an education campaign and include a plan to phase out small-engine lawn equipment in stages, starting with certain items in 2030 and reaching a complete ban by 2033.

The committee recommended Option A, which stops short of a full ban and calls for a 2027 progress report on the City's equipment transition and education efforts. This gives me a valuable opportunity to hear from you before I cast my vote at Council later this month.

It is important to note that this would not apply to larger industrial equipment used by some landscapers. These machines use different types of engines, which ironically have a lower environmental impact than their smaller counterparts, but they can still be noisy.

Dealing with the issue of gas-powered leaf blowers—and similar landscaping equipment—has been a long-standing frustration for me. There is an enormous amount of work underway in the space of climate action, and limited resources to get it all done. City Staff have consistently told us this isn't where they feel their efforts can have the most impact, especially when weighed against other, larger emission sources. And truthfully, they are making progress where it counts.

Just earlier today, I joined the Fire Chief, Mayor Chow, and our TransformTO climate staff at Station 141 on Esther Shiner Boulevard to celebrate a major milestone—the launch of Toronto’s first two electric pumper trucks. That kind of fleet investment has measurable impact on our emissions targets and is the result of years of careful, strategic planning. I’m proud of what we’re achieving there.

But at the same time, I haven’t let go of something I discovered while working from home during the pandemic, when residents were writing to me in growing numbers about the noise and emissions from leaf blowers. I came across a statistic that stopped me in my tracks, and I’ve had it saved on my iPad ever since:

So, caught in a dilemma, I turn to you for advice. You may be a regular reader but not someone who usually writes in. This week, I would especially appreciate hearing from you. Please take a moment to reply to this email and let me know how you feel about leaf blowers and Options A and B.

You can read the whole report here. It includes detailed research and comparisons with other cities, particularly in the attached materials.

If you have other thoughts or concerns as well, feel free to share them. These eblasts are a great time to jot down anything you’ve noticed in the neighbourhood. I always value your feedback.