John Tory brokers peace in the war on fun

theglobeandmail.com
By Marcus Gee
Feb. 2, 2017

The war on fun, as it was called, didn’t last long.

When word got around that Toronto officials were considering a big increase in the fees that businesses pay for their outdoor patios, you could almost hear the angry buzz that rose from the city’s winter-weary residents. For those who have been pulling on thermal underwear while dreaming about downing a pitcher of sangria on a balmy afternoon, the idea that city hall might price the local patio into non-existence was positively alarming.

Mayor John Tory, no fool he, was quick to sense the dawning revolt. At midday Thursday, he came out to field questions from reporters on this urgent issue of public policy. By no means was he against fun, he declared. In fact, no one enjoyed lounging on a patio more than him.

“Patios are a hugely important part of my life,” said the mayor, who is more often seen in a business suit than, well, short pants. “Spring, summer and fall, I sit outside as soon as I possibly can, in April and March if possible and through into October and November, and I think that’s an important part of keeping the city lively.”

He told the good people of Toronto to put their minds at ease. The proposed fee hikes sounded way high to him. Sometimes the ideas that city officials come up with just “don’t pass the smell test.” He would make sure that the fees were reasonable, sensible and didn’t threaten the future of the restaurants, bars and cafes that have become so much a part of Toronto life. “The feedback we’re getting is feedback I agree with,” he said. “I am not going to be the mayor who attacks fun in this city, I can assure you of that.”

Well, thank goodness. Toronto - a place where once you could barely find a drink to save your life; where they rolled up the sidewalks on Sundays; where you had to fill out a form to buy a bottle of rye at the government liquor depot - now boasts no less than 728 patios. People throng to them with a kind of sun-starved abandon as soon as the weather allows. It would be an awful shame if city hall threw cold water on the party.

A report by city officials makes the case that Toronto’s patio fees are low compared with some other cities, such as Ottawa, San Francisco and New York. As part of a move to harmonize bylaws across the city and set consistent standards, the city is proposing to update its fee structure. For existing permit holders, the new fees would be phased in over three to five years. A 30-square-metre licensed patio downtown, to give one example, would see its fees rise to an eventual $8,800 a year from the current $2,361. That is quite a hit for a small business, such as a bar or restaurant. No wonder owners cried bloody murder.

Sidewalks are a public asset. It only makes sense to charge private businesses for using them. But patios are an asset, too.

In recent years, a whole patio culture has emerged in Toronto, yet another mark of the remarkable changes that have overtaken what was once a dour city by a cold lake: Toronto the Good. City magazines and websites list the best patios to visit and the fanciest drinks to consume. As the patio-loving mayor puts it, patios animate the streets. They help draw people outside. We want more of them. Let a thousand patios bloom.

City officials say they have got the message. “During the consultations with business owners,” a spokeswoman says, “staff heard that these proposed fees are too high. Staff are taking this feedback under consideration before making final recommendations.” They are to deliver a final report April 18.

All is not lost. Toronto can start dreaming of sangria in the sunshine again.