September 6 & 7, Night Economy Review: Proposed Zoning and Licensing Regulations for Bars, Restaurants and other Entertainment Venues
The City is exploring strategies to support Toronto’s night economy – the social, cultural and business activities that occur at night. The goal is to create a vibrant, safer, and more inclusive night economy, with an updated approach to licensing and zoning bars, restaurants and entertainment venues in communities across Toronto.
In spring 2023, an interdivisional team, which included staff from Municipal Licensing and Standards, Economic Development and Culture and City Planning consulted various stakeholders and the public through targeted meetings, public consultations and an online survey. The consultations and online survey focused on modernizing Toronto’s zoning, licensing and regulations for businesses, and how City regulations can support balanced night economies, culture and communities citywide.
The City will be hosting two virtual meetings to gain insights and feedback on how bars, restaurants, and other entertainment venues – including nightclubs – are defined, licensed and zoned in Toronto.
Proposals include:
- Implementing activity-based licensing for food and entertainment businesses
- Updating licensing and zoning definitions and requirements for live music venues, bars, restaurants, retail food stores, nightclubs, arcades and places of assembly
- Increasing permitted entertainment space in bars and restaurants
- Expanding where nightclubs can be located outside the downtown area
Meeting Details
Questions & Feedback
If you are unable to attend one of the meetings or would like to provide written feedback, please send your questions or comments to: [email protected]
A summary of proposals will be posted to this page before the meetings begin. Please provide your feedback on the proposals by September 15, 2023.
More information including details on how to register for a session is available on the City’s Night Economy Review webpage at: www.toronto.ca/NightEconomyReview.
Starting September 12, Residents invited to provide feedback on the implementation of the Noise Bylaw at public consultations
The City of Toronto is reviewing the successes and challenges of implementing the Noise Bylaw, which was amended in 2019. Residents are invited to provide feedback at public consultations, starting Tuesday, September 12.
Registration for the following in-person and virtual consultations is available online.
General Noise (for example: unreasonable and persistent noise, power device noise and noise from waste collection)
- In-person meeting: Tuesday, September 12 at Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 308/309 (7 to 9 p.m.). Register online.
- Virtual meeting: Tuesday, September 19 (7 to 9 p.m.). Register and attend online.
Amplified Sound (for example, music from bars)
- Virtual meeting: Wednesday, September 13 (7 to 9 p.m.). Register and attend online.
- In-person meeting: Thursday, September 21 at Metro Hall, 55 John Street, Room 308/309 (7 to 9 p.m.). Register online.
Motor Vehicle Noise
- Virtual meeting: Monday, September 18 (7 to 9 p.m.). Register and attend online.
Construction Noise (for example: condo developments and residential infill)
- In-person meeting: Wednesday, September 20 at North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge Street, Meeting Room 101 (5:30 – 7:30 p.m.). Register online.
Amendment of the bylaw in 2019 resulted in the introduction of sound level limits for amplified sound and motorcycles, enhancements to the noise exemption permit process and the introduction of a dedicated noise enforcement team with late night coverage.
This review aims to assess the bylaw amendments and consider potential refinements. Key focus areas for the review include:
- Assessing the effectiveness of the current decibel limits and enforcement approach for amplified sound.
- Enhancing the City’s response to excessive vehicle noise.
- Strengthening noise enforcement and strategies for the proactive mitigation of noise issues.
The City also intends to respond to additional issues as part of the implementation review, including potential decibel limits for power devices (for example, leaf blowers and lawn mowers), regulations for waste collection noise and strengthening the noise exemption permit process.
More information is available on the City’s website.
Electric Vehicles
Tell the City about your public EV charging needs! We want to ensure public charging is available across Toronto when and where current and future EV drivers need it.
Approximately 32.5 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Toronto comes from on-road transportation (cars, trucks, vans, and buses) with passenger cars and trucks responsible for about 23 per cent of Toronto’s GHG emissions. This means that switching from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles is important for meeting the City’s goal of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2040.
To ensure that Toronto is on track to reach net zero by 2040, the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy identifies actions and targets to be achieved by 2030 in key sectors. The 2030 goals for transportation are:
- 30 per cent of registered vehicles in Toronto are electric
- 75 per cent of school/work trips under 5km are walked, biked or by transit