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Mayor John Tory nixes Toronto COVID curfew

Toronto's mayor won't follow lead of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, who called for an 8 p.m. curfew in city parks to combat illegal gatherings

Torontosun.com
April 15, 2021
Bryan Passifiume

Toronto residents won’t have to deal with a curfew on top of the city’s COVID-19 restrictions.

Mayor John Tory said Wednesday he has no plans to follow the lead of his counterpart in Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson, who on Tuesday called for an 8 p.m. curfew in city parks after reports of large gatherings over the weekend.

“The answer to that question is no,” Tory said when asked during the city’s regular COVID-19 press briefing.

“While there were some parks that were well-used, we did not identify anything that led us to conclude that would be the best answer to deal with it in any event.”

In an interview on CBC, Watson said he was angered after learning of a large party in a city park over the weekend that left piles of trash and broken beer bottles in its wake.

Tory, meanwhile, added the city plans to draw large circles on the grass in major parks -- starting with Trinity-Bellwoods -- as visual cues to maintain social distancing.

Curfews have not been well received in Canadian cities.

Montrealers rioted, lit fires, and looted shops on Sunday after the Quebec government tightened curfew rules in response to increasing case counts. Residents there who leave their homes without cause between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. are subject to heavy fines.