TABLE OF CONTENTS
REPORTS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEES
AND OTHER COMMITTEES
As Considered by
The Council of the City of Toronto
on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998
EMERGENCY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE
REPORT No. 7
1By-law to Amend By-law No. 20-85 -Olde Town Toronto Tours Limited
City of Toronto
REPORT No. 7
OF THE EMERGENCY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES
COMMITTEE
(from its meeting on June 16, 1998,
submitted by Councillor Dennis Fotinos, Chair)
As Considered by
The Council of the City of Toronto
on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998
1
By-law to Amend By-law No. 20-85 -
Olde Town Toronto Tours Limited
(City Council on July 29, 30and 31, 1998, amended this Clause by striking out the
Recommendation of the Emergency and Protective Services Committee and inserting in lieu
thereof the following:
"It is recommended that the Clause be received and no action taken; and, further, that the
Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services be requested to report to the Emergency and
Protective Services Committee on the means, including the process, to prohibit all
horse-drawn vehicles in the downtown core of the City.")
(City Council on July 8, 9 and 10, 1998, deferred consideration of this Clause to the next
regular meeting of City Council to be held on July 29, 1998.)
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(Clause No. 2 of Report No. 6 of the Emergency and Protective Services Committee)
The Emergency and Protective Services Committee recommends the adoption of the
report (May 20, 1998) from the General Manager, Toronto Licensing, subject to the
following:
(1)the proposal by Olde Town Toronto Tours Limited be approved for a six-month trial
period; and
(2)the approval of the proposed routes by the Commissioner of Works and Emergency
Services, the Chief of Police, the General Manager, Toronto Transit Commission, and
the City Solicitor and that they submit a joint report thereon to City Council on July8,
1998.
The Emergency and Protective Services Committee reports, for the information of City
Council, having requested:
(a)the Toronto Humane Society to review the details of the proposed amendments to By-law
No. 20-85;
(b)the Kensington Market Association to comment on this proposal;
(c)the Chief of Police to report on any concerns he may have relating to this proposal,
and to submit their comments/ reports thereon directly to City Council for consideration on
July 8, 1998.
The Emergency and Protective Services Committee also reports, for the information of City
Council, having requested the City Solicitor to review Section 10 of Schedule 35 to By-law
No. 20-85 which refers to the "boundaries of the City of Toronto" and bring forward the
necessary amendment in light of amalgamation.
The Emergency and Protective Services Committee submits the following report (May
20, 1998) from the General Manager, Toronto Licensing:
Recommendation:
(1)By-law No. 20-85 Schedule 35, Section 17 be amended to permit the operation of
horse-drawn trolleys with a passenger capacity of 25 persons.
(2)By-law No. 20-85 Schedule 35, Section 23(3) be amended to delete the word
"Commission" and to insert the words "Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development
Services".
Background:
The attached Notice of Motion was before City of Toronto Council on May 14, 1998. At that
time the report was referred to Committee for further discussion.
In the course of the debate at Council, concerns were raised about the well-being of the horses
and about possible traffic problems. Both of these matters are addressed in By-law No. 20-85
Schedule35. (Copy enclosed).
Animal Welfare
Schedule 35, Section 11 (i) - (ii) describes the hours a horse may work;
Section 12 limits the time of year the horse-drawn vehicles may work;
Section 13 (I) - (7) regulates the physical condition of the horse; and
Section 17 (5) and (6) limits the temperature under which the vehicle may operate.
Traffic Concerns
Section 9 (1) and (2) prohibit the use of these vehicles during morning and afternoon rush
hours
Section 28 and 29 restrict roads on which these vehicles may travel.
On May 13, 1998 Council also approved the Restructuring of the Toronto Licensing
Commission, Section 23 (3), Schedule 35 of By-law No. 20-85 currently requires that the
Commission designate a person to examine the drivers of horse-drawn vehicles. With the
implementation of the restructuring of the Commission this responsibility should rest with
Council or Council's designate. I recommend that Council designate the Commissioner of
Urban Planning and Development Services to exercise this function.
The Subsection would then read:
"(3)Every applicant for a license as a driver shall be examined by a person designated by the
Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development Services as to his ability to:
(a)handle horses in traffic;
(b)harness horses;
(c)groom and care for horses; and
(d)detect lameness in horses and assess their general health."
Conclusion:
The Emergency and Protective Services Committee adopt the recommendations set out in this
report.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
Ms. Carol Ruddell-Foster, General Manager, Toronto Licensing, 416-392-3070
The Emergency and Protective Services Committee reports, for the information of Council,
also having had before it the following communications:
(a)(May 28, 1998) from Leanne Wong, Project Strategist, Toronto Humane Society, 11River
Street, Toronto, M5A 4C2, requesting that the Toronto Humane Society be included in further
discussions and be consulted in the drafting of reports related to the horse-drawn trolley issue;
(b)(June 9, 1998) from Leanne Wong, Project Strategist, and Dr. Steve Sheridan, Director of
Animal Services and Chief Veterinarian, Toronto Humane Society, 11 River Street, Toronto,
M5A 4C2, recommending that Schedule 35 to By-law No. 20-85 not be amended and that no
changes be made to affect the status quo regarding horse-drawn vehicles in the City of
Toronto for the following reasons:
(1)traffic congestion and decreased capacity of the roads to handle traffic;
(2)behavioural traits and biological care requirements of horses that are not conducive to
pulling vehicles in the urban setting; and
(3)the high level and cost of enforcement required to properly monitor horse-drawn vehicles,
if such an activity is allowed to expand.
(c)(June 11, 1998) from Mr. Tim Trow, President, Friends of Horses Inc., 385 Balliol Street,
Toronto, M4S 1E1, expressing concerns with regard to the use of horse-drawn trolleys in
downtown Toronto and providing background information and newspaper articles on this
issue; and
(d)(June 11, 1998) from Councillor Kyle Rae, Downtown, in support of the proposal of the
Olde Town Toronto Tours Limited for a horse and trolley service in downtown Toronto
provided that the operator honours its commitment to operate as per the proposed route, and
does not come east of University Avenue.
(Copies of Schedule 35 of By-law No. 20-85 and the documents listed above were forwarded
to all Members of Council with the Agenda and Supplementary Agenda of the Emergency and
Protective Services Committee meeting of June 16, 1998, and are on file in the Office of the
CityClerk.)
________
The following persons appeared before the Emergency and Protective Services Committee in
connection with the foregoing matter:
-Ms. Leanne Wong, Project Strategist, Toronto Humane Society;
-Dr. Steve Sheridan, Director of Animal Services and Chief Veterinarian, Toronto Humane
Society;
-Mr. Tim Trow, President, Friends of Horses Inc.; and
-Mr. Lorenzo D'Urso, President, and Ms. Miriam Isenberg, Director, Olde Town Toronto
Tours Limited, 71 City View Drive, Etobicoke, M9W 5A5, who also filed a copy of their
submission with the Committee.
________
Councillor Tom Jakobek, East Toronto, also appeared before the Emergency and Protective
Services Committee in connection with the foregoing matter.
(City Council on July 8, 9 and 10, 1998, had before it, during consideration of the foregoing
Clause, the following report (June 29, 1998) from the General Manager, Transportation
Services:
Purpose:
To comment directly to Council on the proposal to allow the size of sightseeing tour
horse-drawn vehicles to be increased from five passengers to 25 passengers.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1)By-law No. 20-85 Schedule 35, Section 17, be amended to permit the operation of
horse-drawn vehicles with a passenger capacity of 25 persons, for a six month trial period;
and
(2)By-law No. 20-85 Schedule 35, Section 23(3), be amended by deleting the word
"Commission" and inserting the words "Commissioner of Urban Planning and Development
Services" in place thereof.
Background:
At its meeting of June 16, 1998, the Emergency and Protective Services Committee
considered a report from the General Manager of the Toronto Licensing Commission, dated
May 20, 1998, addressing a proposed amendment to By-law No. 20-85 Schedule 35 which
would increase the passenger capacity of sightseeing horse-drawn vehicles from five to 25.
The Committee recommended adoption of the foregoing report subject to the following:
(1)the proposal by Olde Town Toronto Tours Limited be approved for a six-month trial
period; and
(2)the approval of the proposed routes by the Commissioner of Works and Emergency
Services, the Chief of Police, the General Manager of the Toronto Transit Commission, and
the City Solicitor and that they submit a joint report thereon to City Council on July 8, 1998.
Discussion:
At present sightseeing horse-drawn vehicles with a passenger capacity of five persons are
permitted on City of Toronto streets except between 2:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on any day, or
between 3:00p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (with the exception of Saturdays, Sundays and public
holidays). The existing by-law prohibits these vehicles from traveling on Lake Shore
Boulevard at any time.
From a traffic perspective the impacts of a 25-passenger horse-drawn vehicle will not be
significantly different than a five passenger vehicle. The speeds of the vehicles will be similar,
and the larger horse-drawn trolleys will be able to manoeuvre street intersections effectively.
However Olde Town Tours Limited expect to operate two 25-passenger trolleys rather than
eight five-passenger buggies. The traffic impact of the two larger vehicles should be less in
total than the eight smaller ones.
The intention of Olde Town Tours Limited is to bring its horse-drawn trolleys out of
Exhibition Place at 10:30 a.m., using Bathurst Street and Front Street to access the downtown
area. The trolleys will circulate the downtown area, principally on non-arterial roadways, and
travel along the curb lane of Spadina Avenue approximately four times per day. The tour
operators do not intend to stop on Spadina Avenue to pick-up or drop-off passengers. The
trolleys will return to Exhibition Place at 3:30 p.m.
The area that the horse-drawn trolleys will manoeuvre through is generally defined by
Spadina Avenue to the west, the University of Toronto to the north, and Front Street to the
south. The operators do not intend to travel on or across University Avenue as an easterly
boundary.
Transportation Services staff liaised with their colleagues in the Toronto Police Service and
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Police Traffic Services expressed concern that a
horse-drawn vehicle could cause traffic flow problems on week days and also Saturdays on
Spadina Avenue and Front Street, in front of the Convention Centre. There may be conflicts
between the horse-drawn trolleys and vehicles parking and unparking, and taxi cabs at the
Convention Centre. There may also be conflicts between the horse-drawn trolleys turning
right and pedestrians waiting to cross the road, because pedestrians may misjudge the turning
radius of the trolleys.
Our TTC colleagues are concerned about the potential impact of a slow-moving vehicle on
their streetcar routes downtown. In this area streetcars operate on four-lane east/west
roadways which typically allow parking in the curb lane during off-peak periods. Therefore all
traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction, on the streetcar tracks. Because horse-drawn
trolleys could cause congestion and delay streetcar service, the operators could be instructed
not to operate their horse-drawn vehicles along King Street, Queen Street, Dundas Street and
College Street.
This report has been discussed with staff of the City Solicitor's office.
Conclusions:
Staff anticipate that the amendment of By-law No. 20-85 Schedule 35 to allow 25-passenger
horse-drawn vehicles should not have a significant impact on the safety and capacity of traffic
in downtown Toronto. However the six-month trial will provide staff with the opportunity to
monitor and evaluate the operation of these vehicles and recommend additional by-law
amendments prior to the 1999 tourist season if necessary.
Contact Name and Telephone Number:
Peter Hillier, Senior Manager, Traffic Regions, (416) 392-5348.)
(City Council also had before it, during consideration of the foregoing Clause, a submission
(July2, 1998) from the Chief Operating Officer, Toronto Humane Society providing, as
requested by the Emergency and Protective Services Committee, a review of the details of the
proposed amendments to Licensing By-law No. 20-85, to permit horse-drawn trolleys with a
passenger capacity of 25persons.)
(City Council also had before it, during consideration of the foregoing Clause,
communications from the following individuals and organizations, commenting on the
re-introduction of horse-drawn vehicles in Toronto:
(i)(June 28, 1998) from the President, Friends of Horses Inc.;
(ii)(June 29, 1998) from the Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals;
(iii)(June 27, 1998) from Ms. Terri D. Daniels, North York;
(iv)(July 7, 1998) from Ms. Liz White, Director, Animal Alliance of Canada, on behalf of the
Animal Protection Institute, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, the World Society
for the Protection of Animals, and Zoocheck Canada Inc.;
(v)(July7, 1998) from Mr. A. Veltri, Prestige Horse Drawn Carriage Co.; and
(vi)(June 30, 1998) from Ms. Nicola Thompson, Toronto, submitting a petition containing
317signatures in support of a ban on horse-drawn vehicles on City streets.)
(City Council also had before it, during consideration of the foregoing Clause, a
communication (July8, 1998) from the City Clerk, advising, with respect to the
aforementioned communication dated June30, 1998, from Ms.NicolaThompson, Toronto, that
the office of the City Clerk is in receipt of pages containing an additional 46 signatures.)
(City Council also had before it, during consideration of the foregoing Clause, a
communication (September 1991) submitted by Ms. Margaret Ann Johnson, issued by the
Carriage Horse Action Committee, New York, pointing out that the horse-drawn carriage is a
highly unsafe vehicle for commercial transportation and including documentation supporting
legislation to ban the existence of a carriage horse trade within city limits.)
(City Council on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998, had before it, during consideration of the
foregoing Clause, the following communications:
(i)(July 28, 1998) addressed to Councillor Joe Mihevc, York-Eglinton, from
Ms.DanielaQuaglia, Public Affairs Advisor, Toronto Humane Society (submitted by
Councillor Michael Walker, North - Toronto), expressing concerns regarding the health and
safety issues related to the proposed amendments to By-law No. 20-85, Schedule35, to permit
horse-drawn trolleys with a passenger capacity of 25 persons;
(ii)(July 28, 1998) from Ms. Nicola Thompson, Toronto, Ontario, submitting a petition
containing 123 signatures calling for a ban to the licensing of horse-drawn vehicles; and
requesting that it be included with the previous petition dated June30, 1998, containing 317
signatures; and
(iii)(July 16, 1998) from Sandy Dutrizac, Toronto, Ontario, submitting comments in
opposition to horse-drawn vehicles even being considered for Spadina Avenue.)
Respectfully submitted,
DENNIS FOTINOS,
Chair
Toronto, June 16, 1998
(Report No. 7 of The Emergency and Protective Services committee, including additions
thereto, was adopted, as amended, by City Council on July 29, 30 and 31, 1998.)
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