Message from the Mayor – Leaf blowers: Let’s protect our health and future generations

On the evening of Tuesday, October 11th, as part of our ongoing commitment to fighting climate change, City Council will discuss a resolution to ban gas-powered blowers. Electric-powered leaf blowers will continue to be allowed. I understand that some of Westmount’s landscapers have shared their concerns about this policy direction with many of their clients, and I wish to provide background and context to our approach.

This resolution is not unexpected, nor is the change happening overnight. The City informed landscapers five years ago that we were heading in this direction. And now, we are allowing a transitional period of more than a year before the by-law comes into effect.

It is also important to note that bans on gas-powered leaf blowers have become the norm across the island of Montréal. Locally all of our neighbours have actively banned gas leaf blowers. The boroughs of Outremont, Cote-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Ville-Marie and Sud-Ouest – have banned them, as has Montreal West and more than 100 cities across the United States. California has instituted a state-wide ban. Furthermore, Canada’s large cities are all looking at by-laws to ban gas leaf blowers.

So why is the ban taking hold? The driving force is that gas-powered leaf blowers carry a heavy environmental toll on the environment. They have a negative impact on health due to exposure to toxic fumes and unsafe noise levels at close range. Compared to car engines that have become more energy efficient over time, the engines in leaf blowers have not evolved significantly. According to the California Air Resources Board, operating a commercial leaf blower for an hour emits as much pollution as driving a car for 1,700 kilometres. Environment Canada recently echoed this fact, stating that a typical gas-powered leaf blower emits roughly as much greenhouse gas in one hour as a car driving from Toronto to Halifax. The damage the leaf blowers cause by disrupting the growth of wildflowers, the insects that contribute to the pollination process, and the destruction of the undergrowth needed for a healthier environment.

A wide range of electric leaf blowers are now available, and they have comparable blowing power to gas-powered ones and are at similar price points. Yet, we appreciate that the transition may incur expenses for landscapers, but it is a small price to pay to benefit people’s well-being and a healthy environment.

I am committed to ensuring sustainability is at the heart of our decision-making process. Therefore, the City’s equipment will also adhere to this by-law, and we will transition to electric-powered leaf blowers. This shift is by no means radical, but the determination to pursue a policy for the benefit of future generations of Westmounters. If you face higher landscaping costs and misinformation about this initiative, we implore you to research this issue. You will find that the equipment is readily available and effective, and science has clearly proven the negative impacts of these machines.

Moving towards electric-powered leaf blowers is an initiative that demands the cooperation of everyone for the benefit and health of all Westmounters today and in the future.

Mayor Christina M. Smith