1st battle in Toronto lost

[bubble boy]

just got back from city hall where motion passed to ban leaf blowers except in oct and nov on residential props. now motion goes to city council vote in dec.

for those in t.o. call your councillor and voice your opinion. let your customers know what is happening and have them call their councillor. They can be found at

http://app.city.toronto.on.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp

esp. those in joanne flint's ward. Bayview-york mills bridle path area. (if you know the area you know why she'll help. ) she actually proposed that april and may also be excempt but was outvoted. perhaps she can sway votes.

let anyone you know in the industry that the councillors are our only hope now. this motion is for a harmonized noise bylaw which is popular policy so the odds it doesn't get passed are slim. we gotta do something now or else.

get your customers to act!!! and contact your councillor!:blob4:

[casey]

Let them pass the law!
I will obtain an arsenal of non blowers that are as polluting & noisy, to complete blowing tasks. They can't ban all gas engines.

Will it include all blowers? push, handheld, BP, even those meeting certain noise requirements?

[bubble boy]

good plan for when law is passed. but i prefer law not passed, and i figure best to do what i can until then.

plus this stuff tends to domino, especially when do good governments get a sense of shifting public opinion. who knows what is next.

[dan deutekom]

Toronto is getting to be a hard place for the horticultural industry. Check out Landscape Ontario's stand on leaf blowers and pesticides. We have to fight these new bylaws or else it will be back to brooms, rakes and hand picking weeds. No custumer will pay for the added labour. No contractor will ever find the labour that will do these menial tasks

http://www.horttrades.com/news-2001-07-16.shtml

[bubble boy]

ban is on all leaf blowers. even electric.

from what i gathered-things were kind of chaotic-even a proposal to allow blowers that were 65 DB or quieter was rejected.

and one councillor has ordered a staff study on increasing enforcement. 1st point-fines starting at $1000. so even once the bylaw is passed, things could get worse.

[thelawnguy]

Let me get this straight-the problem is noisy blowers, not the Kohler magnum twin with no mufflers?

May I suggest installing a bass box in the back of your truck and play the "thumpa thumpa" full tilt while pushing those brooms, outside city hall before the meetings?

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by thelawnguy
Let me get this straight-the problem is noisy blowers, not the Kohler magnum twin with no mufflers?


I had an issue with that 52" Toro you found for me in the CT bargain news.

It backfired one day and blew the front of the muffler clean off.

I still have not installed a new muffler since it just a back up unit.

It is a nasty sounding unit

[casey]

Stone,
May I borrow it to blow our drives clean?

[thelawnguy]

Originally posted by lawrence stone


I had an issue with that 52" Toro you found for me in the CT bargain news.

It backfired one day and blew the front of the muffler clean off.

I still have not installed a new muffler since it just a back up unit.

It is a nasty sounding unit

It was loud that day we looked at it. I assumed it was the nature of the beast.

My father used to blow the mufflers out of his 73 Chevy van at least twice per winter when the choke would hang up and fill the muffler with gas, then ka-BOOM!

Maybe he is the reason Midas no longer offers lifetime muffler warranty?

BTW the 52 w 11 (not 8) B&S has sat in the yard all season 4 flat tires recoil start cord hanging from the T-bar but as of yesterday when I saw it last she will not part with it go figure.

[lawrence stone]

Originally posted by thelawnguy

BTW the 52 w 11 (not 8) B&S has sat in the yard all season 4 flat tires recoil start cord hanging from the T-bar but as of yesterday when I saw it last she will not part with it go figure.

Tell her I am willing to trade a nearly new (mower deck anyway) 1989 21" commercial toro 2 cycle suzuki 3 speed self-propelled with a bagger.