Item - 2025.EC18.8

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in collaboration with other relevant divisions to take the following actions as soon as possible:

a. Distribute public education material through appropriate channels targeting downtown residents, including in Liberty Village, Cityplace, and Fort York, that includes information on:

1. proactive measures residents can take to protect themselves (including wearing protective gear, keeping dogs on leash, and not feeding coyotes); and

2. the work the City is undertaking to address and resolve this issue with urgency, including increased patrols.

2. City Council direct the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards, in collaboration with other relevant divisions, to urgently develop a Downtown Coyote Action Plan and provide an interim report for the committee’s May 6, 2025 meeting that:

a. Assesses best practices used in other comparable urban jurisdictions, including Vancouver and other large dense cities, regarding management of coyotes and processes for resolving issues related to coyote interactions;

b. Explores uses of technology or other tools for diversion;

c. Outlines benefits and drawbacks to different approaches to manage the issue;

d. Includes consideration of existing regulations, municipal authority, input from wildlife experts, partners, and the province;

e. Describes how wildlife management is planned for ahead of, during, and following construction on all City-led projects and proposes recommendations; and

f. Any other applicable information, resources, and strategies for managing and addressing coyotes in downtown communities, including considerations at the municipal, provincial and federal level.

3. City Council request the Province of Ontario conduct environmental assessments when undergoing planning of major projects, such as the redevelopment of Ontario Place, to assess and address impacts to wildlife including coyotes.

4. City Council request the Province of Ontario to support the City of Toronto in the costs of managing coyotes and wildlife.

In advance of the City’s planned updated Coyote Strategy slated for Q4 2025, in recognition of the unique nature of our highly-populated downtown communities with limited green space and the emerging crisis of attacks on and deaths of dogs, as well as understandable fear from families and dog owners, action must be taken. I have been working with local residents to address this issue with urgency to address this issue, and more must be done.