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it looks like toronto is going toget its first officially sanctioned car-free day this year after all. City council this week passed Olivia Chow’s motion calling for a section of St. George Street between Bloor and College to be closed to traffic on September 22. The local event would be one of hundreds of similar car-free actions staged by various cities around the world.Earlier, event organizer the Sierra Club had been concerned that works department staff were hemming and hawing over whether to issue a permit for the road closure, despite the council’s endorsement last June of holding such an event.
“It’s not up to the works committee or works staff to decide. Council makes the decision,” says Chow.
Sierra Club volunteer coordinator Dave Meslin says the the next hurdle to cross is funding — specifically a $30,000 grant from the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF), which meets Tuesday (July 31) in committee room 1 to decide whether to give the Sierra Club the thumbs up or thumbs down.
