Toronto is going ahead with curb lane closures for CafeTO -- but there’s no guarantee when outdoor dining can resume

Thestar.com
April 28, 2021
David Rider

Amid a provincial ban on restaurant patio dining, City of Toronto staff will soon start blocking off curb lanes and sidewalks in preparation for the return of CafeTO, the Star has learned.

But with COVID-19 variants still raging, and no certainty as to when restrictions will be lifted, there is no guarantee anyone will be able to actually sit in repurposed public space and eat or drink on the May long weekend as originally hoped.

City staff sent city council members notice on Tuesday that, “after careful consideration,” including feedback from Toronto Public Health and bar and restaurant owners, “we are confirming that the installation of CafeTO curb lane cafes will commence as originally planned, beginning on May 8th.

“This will ensure that curb lane cafes will be in place for the eventual reopening of outdoor dining, so restaurants and bars can maximize their cafe season in 2021.”

Last spring, in the early days of the pandemic with vehicle traffic down, indoor dining banned and eateries suffering, city staff hastily drafted the plan to dramatically expand patio space. It was a massive hit with Torontonians.

City council in early February approved the return of an expanded CafeTO -- staff are reviewing about 720 curb lane cafes and 71 “public parklet locations” just for its first phase. Mayor John Tory wants the warm-weather program to become permanent.

Coun. Jaye Robinson urged city staff in February to get the May-November program underway to help pandemic-ravaged businesses registering to participate.

“People are hanging on by a thread and this could make all the difference, getting it up and running as fast as possible,” the Ward 15 Don Valley West representative said.

But for spring 2021, city staff note, “as long as outdoor dining is prohibited in Toronto, cafe operators will be required to ensure that curb lane closure areas are not used for congregation, public seating or dining purposes and any dining furniture placed on the right-of-way (both sidewalk and curb lanes) must be made inaccessible to the general public.”

Patio dining is currently banned across Ontario under emergency stay-at-home orders. While outdoor dining is considered a much lower virus risk than indoor dining, a surge in spread of highly contagious COVID-19 variants in hot spots including Toronto and Peel Region is straining the health care system.

Before the virus surge, Tory said he wanted the first batch of patios open in time for the May 22 to 24 Victoria Day weekend.

Asked for comment Tuesday about the city staff plans, Tory said in an email: “We know at some point, we will be able to reopen again and we want to make sure we are doing everything as a city to help businesses be ready to safely welcome customers at the earliest date possible.

“They need these extra outdoor seats to start earning back revenue lost during the pandemic.”

The city’s command team in charge of the pandemic response has approved the CafeTO preparations, a process expected to take about three weeks.

Tory is expected to announce the plans at a COVID-19 briefing Wednesday.