Toronto city councillors approve extending patio season through winter

Toronto city council has approved a measure to extend the city’s outdoor dining season through the winter months.

At a meeting on Tuesday, councillors unanimously approved a motion to extend the CafeTO program until mid-April.

Mayor John Tory had made the move a priority, saying it’s needed to support the city’s restaurant industry.

Restaurant operators, however, have expressed doubt that a government-sanctioned winter patio season will guarantee success.

Indoor dining has been prohibited in Toronto since earlier this month, when the province moved several COVID-19 hot spots back to a modified Stage 2 in the government’s pandemic recovery plan.

The ban is in place until at least Nov. 7.

2:52 Efforts to extend Toronto’s patio season amid pandemic