Congratulations to Owen Sound City Council for their recent decision to ask staff for a report on what the city can to do help deal with climate change.

On Dec 2, 2007, an “Idling Control By-law” was passed. It was then revised and verified on January 16, 2014. The by-law indicates that “No person shall cause or permit a gasoline-powered vehicle to idle for more than two (2) consecutive minutes or a diesel fuel-powered vehicle to idle for more than five (5) consecutive minutes anywhere within the City of Owen Sound.“

We now have drive thrus at the Bank of Montreal, Starbucks and Popeye’s Restaurant. There is a new drive thru approved for the Heritage Grove Development on the east side and one at the top of Alpha St., a total of 5 to be opened in 14 months. According to QSR's (the business-to-business magazine for the limited-service restaurant segment) 2019 Drive-Thru Study, customers spent an AVERAGE of 255 seconds from speaker to order window.

In an article in the Globe & Mail updated May 1, 2018, “if every Canadian driver reduced idling time by just three minutes a day, it would reduce carbon emissions by 1.4 tonnes a year. That's like taking more than 196,000 cars off the road for a year.”

The Idling Control By-Law is in place - why does City Council keep approving drive thrus in Owen Sound? Instead of waiting for a staff report on how to start dealing with climate change, start now and stop approving drive thrus in Owen Sound.

Respectfully,

Donna Mitchell
Annan