Newsletter, March 8, 2024
March 8, 2024
What's Inside:
1. New year, new website, new look!
2. Next steps
3. 2023 in review
4. Toronto Public Health Community Consultation
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www.gasbusters.ca
Hello Gasbusters!
We hope that 2024 has started well for you. During the gas blower dormant period, we've been busy! We created a website, www.gasbusters.ca, which is a store of information related to our cause. Please pay us a visit there and share it with your friends and other interested parties.
As part of our website development, we've refreshed our logo to display our name prominently and vibrantly. The logo reflects our dedication to a ban of gas-powered garden equipment of all types, and its replacement with more environmentally-sensitive solutions to property management and lawn care.
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Next Steps:
In July, 2023, City Council expressed its support and adopted steps to pursue a ban on two-stroke small engine equipment, but it’s not assured. Resistance from the landscape industry continues to be strong. We have made positive steps towards our goal of having all two-stroke engine lawn and garden equipment banned, but we need your help.
Over the next few months Gasbusters hopes to build membership as more people become aware of the harm caused by gas-powered leaf blowers and related garden equipment. We are sure our recently launched website will help to increase awareness.
Please share our website, www.gasbusters.ca.
We need to build membership to put further pressure on City Hall.
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2023 in Review:
Our group was active again last year! We have included a link to our year-end report below.
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Toronto Public Health Strategic Plan Community Consultation
Toronto Public Health (TPH) is requesting feedback from Torontonians to help develop its new strategic plan. This is a fantastic opportunity for Gasbusters to tell TPH what the priorities for public health in Toronto should be.
Smog alert days in Toronto are increasing with even more expected in future due to climate change. Additionally, based on evidence presented during last Fall's Noise Bylaw Review, noise impacts on human health are insufficiently understood and regulated. Given these facts, we believe that Toronto Public Health’s top priorities over the next four years should be better urban air quality and mitigation of urban noise. Our campaign to ban gas-powered garden equipment would fit with these priorities.
You can provide your input online up to March 17, 2024. Here’s the link to the survey:
https://s.tphsurvey.chkmkt.com/?e=374078&d=l&h=3A125918B9EC2D1&l=en
Thank you,
Gasbusters Team Organizers
