Toronto Wants To Let Patios Stay Open As Long As Possible With Outdoor Heaters

Winter in the city is looking pretty great. 🍻
Contributor

Looks like patios are here to stay for a while. Mayor John Tory announced that he wants to extend Toronto's patio season this year with outdoor space heaters as part of the CafeTO program, similar to Ottawa's plan.

"I think it is going to be very good news for restaurants and bars that are really struggling during the pandemic time," Tory said in an interview with CP24.

Councilor Josh Matlow encourages the idea.

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"Let’s keep it going, using heaters when necessary, as long as the weather permits."


Coun. Josh Matlow 

Originally, the city cited safety concerns as to why they were hesitant to extend the CafeTO program.

However, the mayor told the outlet that they now have a plan to allow heaters on all patios.

Over 760 restaurants have had their patios expanded by the current CafeTO program.

Would you enjoy a boozy beverage on a snowy patio?

Via CP24

  • Abby Neufeld was a writer at Narcity Canada. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Professional Communications at the University of Victoria. Her past work has been published in The Toronto Star, Bitch Media, Canadian Dimension, This Magazine, and more. In 2019, Abby co-founded The New Twenties, an environmentally-focused literary and arts magazine.

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