Category: Noise Sources

Gas Powered Lawn Care
For some people, leaf blowers come to mind as the sound of spring. From early spring to late fall, workers appear along with the daffodils and tulips, sometimes in small disturbing packs and sometimes as individual home-owners. They blow around leaves, dust and pollutants as a method of “cleaning things up”. Some residents seem to like to clean up almost on a daily basis, disturbing everyone within earshot, seemingly to chase a leaf, while some neighbourhoods endure the fumes of a weekly sonic attack. We all appreciate a beautiful clean city and support any kind of garden activity, however, the machinery used to do this all too often produces damaging decibel levels and unacceptable gas emissions, creating both noise and air pollution.

As more people are working from home, this equipment disturbs more people. While solutions exist, implementing them is a matter of political will.

No More Noise is pleased to collaborate with GASBUSTERS in creating the public pressure to bring our councillors onside.The Gasbusters Organizing Committee has provided this recent update.

Current situation

In November, 2025, Toronto City Council passed a motion by Councillor Dianne Saxe that was proposed by Gasbusters. The motion directs that, on days when Toronto’s Air Quality Health Index reaches high or very high-risk levels (7–10), the City encourage its operations staff, businesses, and residents to refrain—where practical and feasible—from using two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers and other devices with similar polluting effects. Council has also requested that the Chief Communications Officer coordinate messaging across the City’s communication channels to ensure this guidance reaches residents and businesses.

This result represents a meaningful breakthrough. Going forward, when the Medical Officer of Health issues a Special Air Quality Statement on high-pollution wildfire smoke days, the City will now include more explicit guidance encouraging Torontonians not to use gas-powered leaf blowers and related garden equipment.

While this latest development focuses on the polluting effects of gas-powered garden equipment, any reduction in their usage also removes their noise from the environment. Gasbusters recognizes that the City of Toronto compartmentalizes the negative acoustic and polluting impacts of gas-powered garden equipment between its departments., Gasbusters will continue supportting No More Noise Toronto’s advocacy to promote tighter Noise By-law. restrictions.

GASBUSTERS is a Toronto-based community advocacy group pushing for a total ban on gas-powered leaf blowers and related 2-stroke engine landscaping equipment. The movement represents over 600 residents and is supported by 17 resident associations and 14 environmental partners, including No More Noise Toronto, the David Suzuki Foundation and Toronto Environmental Alliance.

For more information, please visit www.gasbusters.ca.

Bylaws

The City of Toronto has a Noise Website , with sections that you can expand to learn more. For the detail of the noise bylaws the PDF of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 591, Noise has clickable chapters.

You will find leaf blowers and other such equipment in 591-2.6 Power devices.

Section A states: No person shall emit or cause or permit the emission of sound from a power device from 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. the next day, except until 9 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays.

Section B states what it doesn’t apply to:
- maintain a golf course or public park
- carry out City operations
- services contracted by the City
Make a Noise Report

You have three options:
1. Click here to create a Power Device Noise Service Request
2. Phone call– dial 311
3. Through the 311 mobile app
You can also send an email to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca on how they can improve.

We encourage you to make a report every time you are exposed to this irritant. Every report is a data point that the city will use to make future decisions. The more that a problem is reported, the more likely it is that the Noise Team will act.

Contact your Councillor:
- Find out who that is at this link
- Tell them about the noise disturbance
- Present a solution
You may not get a response from your Councillor, but they or their staff read every email. Be polite and concise.

Solutions

The City of Toronto is working towards banning gas powered lawn care equipment, but they are not doing it fast enough. While change is hard, it’s time for the city to take concrete steps to reduce noise and air pollution for garden maintenance workers, other citizens and the overall environment. Switching to electric garden equipment helps our soundscape and by leaving fall leaves and branches overwinter, we assist pollinators and other beneficial birds and animals by providing shelter and food.

Solutions:
- rakes
- brooms
- electric equipment for bigger jobs (less noise and air-pollution)
- support Toronto’s Pollinator Protection Strategy by replacing turf grass, which requires mowing, with native grasses and sedges, as well as other native plants, that sustain pollinators.
Resources
- Visit GASBUSTERS resources page
January 13, 2026
Stationary Noise
The rattle, buzz and roar of a residential air conditioner (RAC) or other stationary noise sources can create multiple disturbances all year long.

Stationary sources include heat pumps, fans, generators, compressors, and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems. These sources can be run 24-7 for months on end and tend to stop and start frequently, creating serious negative impacts on neighbours.

Current Situation

As cities become warmer with more heat events due to climate change, more air conditioners are being installed in residential areas. Additionally, with more high rise condos, and mixed use zoning, bedrooms are more often at or above the rooftops of other buildings, impacting more residents.

Currently, this noise source is only measured in dBA (which measures sound that we can hear) and not dBC (which measures lower frequency sound that we are more likely to feel). Like amplified sound, two measurements are required (one with the unit on, the other off) to understand the level of disturbance. The issue is that noise doesn’t have to be loud to be bothersome, so often the noise source is within the bylaw limits, even though the drone and hum of a stationary noise source invades peoples homes and bedrooms and is impossible to ignore.

Toronto Bylaws

City by-laws are most important, since they supersede the Provincial regulations. The updated regulations from the most recent noise bylaw review in 2023 include:
- reduced outdoor decibel limits at night (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.) from 50 dB(A) to 45 dB(A).
- reduced indoor limits at night dropping from 50 dB(A) to 40 dB(A), and daytime limits (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.) from 50 dB(A) to 45 dB(A).
Additionally, the definition of “point of reception”—the location where noise measurements are taken by by-law enforcement officers—has been refined to clarify that the listed examples are not exhaustive, allowing for broader interpretation in enforcement and hopefully providing a better experience for the resident.

Provincial Regulations
- Environmental Noise Guideline – Stationary and Transportation Sources – (Publication NPC-300
  - Mostly applicable to land use planning and commercial activities
- Residential Air Conditioning Devices (Publication NPC-216
  - Establishes basic sound level limits and sound emission standards
Make a Report

While making a stationary noise report may seem futile, it is important to do so. Every report is a data point that the city will use to make future decisions. Plus, the more that people report a problem the more likely that the Noise Team will act.

You have three options:
1. Click here to create a Stationary Noise Service Request
2. Phone call – dial 311
3. Through the 311 mobile app – click the link to download
You can also send an email to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca and suggest how they can improve.

You can also contact your Councillor:
- Find out who that is at this link
- Tell them about the noise disturbance
- Present a solution
You may not get a response from your Councillor, but they or their staff read every email. Be polite and concise.

Solutions

There are two major improvements that need to be made.
1. The measurements must be taken in dBA and dBC, with appropriate decibel maximums that protect people’s health.
2. As we are all entitled to sleep with the windows open, we must ensure that INDOOR LIMITS apply to measurements taken indoors with windows open.
More generally, there is a lack of clarity about where noise measurements should be taken. Sluggish action/enforcement by MLS officers is common. Complaints can take a year, or many years, to produce action. MLS inability to make the offender turn their units off or on, makes the measurements a game of chance. This results in an intrusion that can be a waste of time and money.

However, read on for a positive outcome resulting from a consistent and patient approach to the problem.
Case Study: Jessica and Benji’s Experience

Jessica and Benji endured years of noise from a neighbour’s excessively loud air conditioner (RAC), installed in a narrow gap between semi-detached houses, a setup now considered illegal. From April to October, the unit ran nonstop, disrupting their sleep and home life.
- June 2023, Jessica and Benji filed a complaint with Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS).
- September 2023, the RAC was declared in violation of the Noise By-law. However, the neighbour was allowed to continue using it while attempting a “repair.”
- November 2023, MLS warned that further use could lead to court summonses.
- June 2024, unit resumed running, prompting another complaint
- July 2024, enforcement efforts were dropped due to a new, stricter Noise By-law that reset the process.
- September 2024, the neighbour finally replaced the old unit with a new, quiet ductless model in the front yard, resolving the issue.
Key Takeaways:
- Enforcement can be slow and complicated.
- Maintain good relations with MLS officers.
- Keep detailed records.
- Learn the Noise By-law.
- Persistence is crucial—don’t give up.
January 13, 2026
Construction
Noise from construction comes from many sources such as new home and office construction, the renovation of existing buildings, road and bridge maintenance, new public transit and others. Noise irritants are not created solely by the construction. The large dump trucks hauling dirt away at all hours from an Ontario Line Station build, and accelerating off the light, contribute significantly towards extra noise. The concrete trucks are granted noise exemptions for continuous pours. To this, add the early morning workers chatting before they are allowed to go onsite, and the random incessant backup beepers. Of course, the beepers are there to protect those workers, who are also entitled to greet their fellow workers.

However, people in their homes don’t want to be in on the conversation and certainly don’t need to be warned of a piece of equipment backing up or lifting a load within a fenced off, secured construction site.

The existing options and solutions are largely ignored by the construction industry who don’t want to look seriously into noise mitigation (mostly they only do monitoring) because it will cost them money. But mitigations exist that will improve the health of the workers and everyone within earshot. We need to bring pressure on the construction industry to act more responsibly.

Bylaws

The City of Toronto has a Noise Website , with sections that you can expand to learn more. For details of the noise bylaws the Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 591, Noise has clickable chapters. The bylaw can be found in section 591-2.3. Construction.

It states: No person shall emit or cause or permit the emission of sound resulting from construction or any operation of construction equipment that is clearly audible:
- From 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day, except until 9 a.m. on Saturdays; and/or
- All day on Sundays and statutory holidays.
Make a Noise Report

If you are exposed to noise pollution outside of these hours you have three options:
1. Click here to create a Construction Noise Service Request
2. Phone call – dial 311
3. Through the 311 mobile app – click the link to download
You can also send an email to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca on how they can improve.

Every report is a data point that the city will use to make future decisions. The more that people report a problem the more likely that the Noise Team will act.

Solutions

There are ways to reduce and mitigate noise, such as:
- Better and quieter equipment
- Quieter work practices –
  - rubber mallet vs metal hammer when possible
  - using a hydraulic rock splitter instead of jackhammers to break concrete
  - Demolition grout
- Better processes for reporting and enforcing noise bylaws
- Better barriers for noise and vibration
- Stronger requirements for noise mitigation and lower thresholds
- Implementing no construction days to give people a break
- Better road surfaces
- Broadband back up beepers
- The use of electric tools significantly reduces noise and provides quieter operation for a 10-15 dB noise reduction on construction sites
Noise Exemption Permits

Noise exemption permits can be requested for events or activities that may be in contravention of the Noise Bylaw. Examples include construction noises outside the allowable hours, including continuous concrete pouring and large crane work.

Additionally, other activities can be exempted by the Province:
- Noise from federal or provincial infrastructure projects
- Necessary municipal or provincial emergency work
- Work needed to respond to an emergency
- Emergency work that cannot be performed during regular business hours
There is more information on the Noise Exemption Permit webpage.
January 13, 2026
Amplified Sound
The City of Toronto Noise Team enforces the noise bylaw for any amplified or instrument sound that is on land. Marine noise is federally regulated, so unfortunately,party boats come under federal jurisdiction,

Bothersome amplified sound can come from an external source, such as an establishment or a public space, from a neighbour through shared walls, ceilings or exterior walls, or over the fence. It can be the actual sound level from the source that creates stress and discomfort, however, it is the vibrations from the low frequencies that are impossible to ignore. Over the summer of 2025, we received reports of vibrations from Rogers Stadium that were perceivable 9 km away.

The City of Toronto has a mandate to support the Night Economy which is defined as the social, cultural and economic activity between 6 pm and 6 am. We are pleased to be an active member of the City of Toronto’s Night Economy External Working Group, working to reduce noise problems. You can find out more about the Night Economy here.

Current Situation

The City of Toronto Noise Bylaw states that from an outdoor point of reception in a living area the sound level should not exceed:
- 50 dBA or 65 dBC from 11pm to 7 am
- 55 dBA or 70 dBC from 7 am to 11pm
Additionally the Good Neighbour Guide for Late Night Businesses is designed to help businesses understand what they can do to be better citizens in their communities. The City is also supporting nightclubs and other entertainment which will be located outside the downtown core, in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough.

The Agent of Change planning model was adopted by the city in 2018 to protect night businesses from new resident noise complaints made by people who have moved into the area. This was to prevent noise complaints from shutting down a business while ensuring all noise bylaws still apply. This protects the “original” land use. However, this policy only covers a very small portion of downtown, and is therefore inequitable. This should cover any existing land use, and be in place across the city. The residents in the area of Rogers Stadium should have the same protection that downtown residents enjoy.

Make a Noise Report

You have three options:
1. Click here to create an Amplified Noise Service Request
2. Phone call – dial 311
3. Through their mobile app – click the link to download
You can also send an email to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca outlining how they can improve.

We encourage you to make a report because every report is a data point that the city will use to make future decisions. Plus, the more that people report a problem the more likely that the Noise Team will act.

Contact your Councillor:
- Find out who that is at this link
- Tell them about the noise disturbance
- Present a solution if you have one
- When applicable, ask for the enforcement of the noise bylaw and inquire about the time it will take to receive feedback
You may not get a response from your Councillor, but they or their staff do read every email. Be polite and concise.

How the Bylaw is enforced

It is a 2 step process and is inefficient and ineffective. Days after your report, at the time that you reported it, two bylaw officers will come to your home two times. Once to get a “loud” and then again to get an “ambient” measurement. Both are impossible to time.

This workflow chart shows the business activities from left to right in the top line. Under that is everything that the city and residents need to go through to instigate change. Often, nothing changes and the resident is left hanging.

While it may take days for the enforcement to respond to a report, the noise irritant goes on and the suffering citizen will continue to have disturbances at night.

The Good Neighbour Guide

The Good Neighbour Guide is the go-to resource for businesses and outlines the first line of enforcement for the Noise Team bylaw officers. The following sections apply to noise:
- Outdoor Dining and Music
- Minimizing Sound and Noise
- Outside your Venue
- Resident and Neighbour Relations
Other Resources:

Changes to Licensing & Zoning Bylaws for Restaurants, Bars & Entertainment Venues

Action Plan for Culture in Toronto: Culture Connects

Liquor License Applications

The City of Toronto is now producing a map of Temporary & Occasional Liquor Licence Applications.

Check out the map

Seeing results as soon as they are approved can help you plan in advance. We are thankful for Councillor Ainslie who is aware of noise issues and is pushing for more transparency in city data.

A Picture of Amplified Sound

No More Noise Toronto takes measurements from peoples’ homes with meters. We produce graphs with the time along the bottom and decibels on the side. You can see how amplified sound has a unique signature, with lots of ups and downs in a short period of time.

This measurement was taken from inside a home between 11pm and 7 am and according to the Noise Bylaw , the business creating this noise would have been in contravention of the noise bylaw as the average for the amplified sound event was 52.4 dBA.

Solutions

There are solutions to not only reduce the number of reports required but also to improve and streamline enforcement.

The city should invest in sound level monitoring for problem areas so that they are alerted when sound levels are exceeded. They can also install meters in residents homes to monitor sound levels for an extended period of time, such 36 or 48 hours, to reduce late night disturbances and multiple visits.

Noise producing venues can:
- Install soundproofing material inside the venue
- Provide good ventilation systems so doors can remain shut
- Use bass limiters within sound systems
- Limit amplified sound after 11pm on outdoor patios
They can also explore using “Silent Disco” technology, where the music comes through headphones that the patron wears.

Exterior Modifications include:
- Tall solid fencing
- Green buffers of sound absorbing trees or thick hedges
- Decoupling of noise. This soundproofing technique allows the separation of structural components to block vibrations from traveling through them
Interior home modifications include:
- Metal roller blinds which can reduce vibrations
- Sound dampening curtains
- Solid wooden shutters
- Plastic window coverings that create an air pocket, reducing the sound
January 13, 2026
Overnight Waste Collection
Current Situation

In 2022, Overnight waste collection was granted an exemption to the noise bylaw. This bylaw states that “noise is not permitted from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day or until 9 a.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays”. The exemption was granted for “citizen safety” reasons. In November, 2024, at City Council this item was passed without debate. This somewhat secretive exemption has impacted the sleep, health and wellbeing of tens of thousands of people ever since.

Bylaw

City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 591 Article 3, EXEMPTS waste collection noise from noise prohibitions.

A Picture of Waste Collection

Let’s put an end to 107 decibel wake up calls multiple times a week, or for some, multiple times a night. This image is a measurement taken during the day – but we know the process is not any quieter at night. At night, this area (typical of other high rise condos) averages 55 dba. So when there is waste collection at night, the spikes are even worse and impact everyone within earshot.
- Decibels are on the vertical axis and time is along the bottom.
- # of bins indicated by the 30 decibel spikes.
- back up noises which are as loud as 85 decibels.
You can watch a short recording of this measurement (on a different day) on this YouTube video .

Solutions

It is much easier to stop something from happening than to stop something that is happening. The fact that there was no public input to this change clearly favoured the waste collection companies. While No More Noise would love to remove the exemption (and encourages residents to work towards this) we are advocating for other changes in the short term:
- Driver education about how to operate the trucks and bins quietly
- Fines for exceeding certain thresholds
- Area sound level monitoring of the immediate pick up area
- Pick up coordination, to reduce individual disturbances
- Electric vehicles
- Improvements in waste reduction management
Make a Noise Report

If this noise bothers you, you have three options:
1. Click here to create a Exempted Noise Service Request
2. Phone call – dial 311
3. Through the 311 mobile app – click the link to download
You can also send an email to mlsfeedback@toronto.ca suggesting how they can improve.

Every report is a data point that the city will use to make future decisions. Plus, the more that people report a problem the more likely it is that the Noise Team will act.

You can also contact your Councillor:
- Find out who that is at this link
- Tell them about the noise disturbance
- Present a solution if you have one
You may not get a response from your Councillor, but they or their staff do read every email. Be polite and concise.
January 13, 2026
Motor Vehicle Noise
Noise pollution from motor vehicles is the number one noise irritant in cities and rural areas. In Toronto, the Gardiner Expressway drones relentlessly, however, our brains can become accustomed to this kind of white noise over time, and health impacts can be manageable. It is the sudden, extreme peaks of volume at any time of day or night, that causes stress and other deleterious effects. When a driver touches a button to change to a louder exhaust setting, presses the gas pedal, or flicks a wrist merely to make a vehicle unnecessarily louder, they are assaulting people with noise. All over our city (and many cities elsewhere), this disturbing, unnecessary noise first startles us and the resulting reaction within our bodies then harms us. This anti-social behavior, which often is the result of an insecure individual’s need to exert power, is called vanity noise. The increase in road racing, modified mufflers and shrieking braking, has dangerously escalated since the pandemic, indicating additional problems in our society. As we build more condos, which create noise canyons, one driver can reduce the health, safety and quality of life for thousands of people.

While there have always been people who want to race and who enjoy loud cars, this activity must be contained within official races on dedicated, safe roadways. Unfortunately, the sound of the engine’s roar and the thrill of speed is being promoted by some vehicle manufacturers, making this problem worse than ever.

If it’s for vanity, it’s 100% unnecessary. Let’s stop it now.

Click the boxes below to hear the types of noises we are talking about:

Angry Audi

Annoyed at someone not liking their noisy loops through a residential neighbourhood, the noisemakers leave their mark.

Downtown (sounds like) Gunshots

A motorbike going through downtown Toronto backfiring repeatedly.

Current Situation

The process of reporting this noise and enforcing the laws for loud vehicles, is currently ineffective and resource intensive. Some of the issues are:
- The city can’t do anything about moving vehicle noise, yet we are told to contact them about noise issues.
- Often it’s impossible to get the information required for the report.
- While we can report this noise to the police, they have limited resources to enforce.
- They will not chase a vehicle and won’t pull it over for being loud.
Meanwhile, due to the existing laws, Toronto Police Services and the City of Toronto point fingers at each other over who should do what. A trial for noise cameras is a case-in-point. These cameras are in use in other cities and come without the problems encountered by speed cameras, such as aggressive surveillance and ease of vandalism. To implement a trial here, the City and the Police will have to come to some agreement because the City cannot enforce moving vehicle noise, yet it would have to be the ones to buy the equipment, recovering the revenue from any potential fines. Currently, it is easy for the Police to say “we aren’t buying the equipment” and the City to say “it’s not our jurisdiction.”

Laws & Regulations

Below is a chart of how vehicle noise is “mis”managed in Toronto.

Enforcement

Part of the issue with current enforcement is that it hasn’t been conclusively determined what is the best test for a loud vehicle. Is it an officer’s subjective decision or a decibel threshold? Both have their issues as one may not hold up in court and the other requires equipment. Also, sound is a unique substance which is influenced by the surroundings, weather and other factors.

Report Motor Vehicle Noise

While it can be frustrating to report motor vehicle noise, it is important to do so. The city and Toronto Police use the information reported to determine problem locations. Every report is a data point that will be used to make future decisions.

Make reports to 311 (City of Toronto) and Toronto Police Services

For the city of Toronto you have 3 choices
1. Click here to create a Motor Vehicle Service Request
2. Phone call – dial 311
3. Through the 311 mobile app – click the link to download
For Toronto Police Service
- Make a Driving Complaint
You can also Contact your Councillor
- Find out who that is at this link
- Tell them about the noise disturbance
- Present a solution
You may not get a response from your Councillor, but they or their staff will read every email. Be polite and concise.

Toronto Police Services

Toronto Police Services has a Board. When they meet and there is an agenda item that relates to vehicle noise, we have made deputations and will do so again. We have a number of allies on the Board, Chair Councillor Shelley Carroll, Councillor Lily Cheng and Councillor Amber Morely are all supportive of NMNT’s work. We need to start deputing to this board so that they hear from us how impactful this unnecessary noise is and that we need their support in recommending automated enforcement.

Solutions

While there are many noise issues to solve, transportation noise, and especially illegal, unnecessary vanity noise should be eliminated in most areas and managed tightly in others. The City, the police and No More Noise need to create a task force to solve this problem, like they have done in Naples, Florida.

There are two main avenues of solving this problem:
1. Stop the noise from happening:
  - Ban import and sale of modified mufflers
  - Fine or shut down automotive shops that perform the modifications
2. Deter the antisocial behavior
  - Change policy: increase fines and add demerit points
  - Improve the enforcement and ticketing process
  - Use automated enforcement
Automated enforcement is being implemented in many cities. The basic equipment is a camera, a decibel meter and microphones, to listen for, correctly identify and send tickets to owners of loud cars. Rhode Island has a trailer with equipment. Various US cities, including New York, use Sound Vue Noise cameras, made in the UK. Naples, Florida is testing a noise camera made in the US.

Policy will have to be changed in order for automated enforcement to be implemented, which can take time. However, there are solutions to create quieter streets sooner rather than later.

Other solutions
- Education & public awareness
- Changing street design to reduce speeds
- Increased use of current enforcement methods
- Quiet pavement
- Ticketing for vehicle safety, which circumvents the court system
- Anonymous citizen reporting of loud vehicles to authorities
November 13, 2025