Full council will consider the committee's recommendation on April 13.

Gas-powered lawn equipment, like exhaust-spewing, noisy leaf blowers, is on the outs in Ottawa’s municipal government.

On Tuesday, Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King received majority support from council’s standing committee on environmental protection, water and waste management to start phasing out the gas-guzzling gear as soon as possible.

Ottawa has beautiful green spaces and “maintaining them should not come at the cost of the health of our community,” King said.

City staff support the proposal. They plan to report back to council by the end of the year on a “green equipment plan” after seeing how battery-powered blowers, trimmers and small chainsaws fare in municipal operations between spring and fall.

The committee heard the transition to battery-powered gear will cost about $40,000 to $50,000 this year, with the batteries making up much of the cost.

The pilot program would apply to the public works and environmental services department, where most of the gas-powered equipment is used. Other departments would assess their own inventories and see how the pilot program shakes out.

Dan Chenier, the general manager who oversees parks and facilities, said there were 224 pieces of gas-powered equipment in his department and he was interested in participating in the phaseout plan.

However, at Ottawa Fire Services, Deputy Chief Dave Matschke said there were nearly 300 gas-powered emergency tools used by firefighters with no useful alternatives in the market.

Two councillors questioned if today’s battery technology could handle the city’s landscaping requirements.

Osgoode Coun. George Darouze said larger properties in the rural area would require additional battery power to blow leaves and trim hedges. Transitioning to battery-powered equipment might create more problems and costs for the city, Darouze said.

Darouze said applying the pilot program to smaller urban parks might be a better idea.

Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley was also skeptical. He said he couldn’t finish cutting his lawn with a battery-powered lawnmower and had to buy more batteries.

Darouze and Hubley voted against the proposal.

Councillors Jean Cloutier, Keith Egli, Catherine McKenney, Shawn Menard, Scott Moffatt and King supported the plan.

Lawnmowers wouldn’t be part of the municipal government’s initial pilot program.

King said that, if the city was serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, along with cutting noise pollution, it needed to take action now.

Moffatt, the chair of the committee, said the proposal would only allow transitions to battery-powered equipment when that equipment was available and still met the city’s operational needs.

Council will consider the committee’s recommendation on April 13.

The phaseout of gas-powered landscaping tools would only apply to the municipal government’s equipment. The National Capital Commission also plans to stop using gas-powered lawn equipment starting in 2023.

Menard encouraged staff to examine what a blanket ban on gas-powered lawn equipment would look like for Ottawa in case it’s something council wants to pursue next term.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information about the cost for the city to transition to battery-powered lawn equipment.

Sign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Ottawa Citizen Headline News will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4

© 2022 Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.