Councillor Update - October 2025

Fall is officially here! I hope this Thanksgiving we can reconnect and break bread with loved ones. And of course, I know kids are getting excited and parents are busy getting costumes ready for Halloween. If you are able, I encourage you to have treats on hand for all the little princesses and superheroes that will be visiting your home.

An alarming trend in the city has been fires caused by a battery in an e-bike or e-scooter igniting within apartment units. With City Council returning after the summer break on October 8, I am working with Councillor Bravo to strongly advocate for regulation changes at the provincial and federal levels to protect all of us from fires caused by the large lithium-ion batteries.

The rise of e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds, and more have created very visible conflicts in the limited amount of public space we have in the city. This is one of the reasons I created sidewalk decals in Toronto Centre to remind drivers they should not be trying to share space with pedestrians.

But a growing and dangerous issue is the risk of fire and explosions associated with lithium-ion batteries. Whereas there were three fires in 2023 linked to e-bike of e-scooter batteries, Toronto Fire Services has reported that number jumped to 25 in 2024, and is leapfrogging ahead in 2025 with 29 fires recorded to date.

Toronto’s Fire Chief has recently requested both the federal and provincial governments to increase regulation around lithium-ion batteries. Federal regulation is necessary to improve certification and standards for how these batteries are manufactured for use in Canada. Provincial updates to the Fire Code are also critical to ensure that owners of these devices and landlords can ensure the safe storage of lithium-ion batteries.

Should the province ignore the risk–like they are by seeking to remove automated speed cameras–I will be asking City staff for amendments to City bylaws to reduce the risk to health and property caused by improper lithium-ion battery usage and storage. It would not be a step I would take lightly–the Fire Chief has been clear to me that changes to the Fire Code would be significantly more effective–but with incidents rising, something must be done.

Yours in service,

Chris Moise
City Councillor
Ward 13 - Toronto Centre

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Councillor Update - October 2025

Latest posts

Church Street Pedestrianization Public Survey

Identify ‘N Impact Youth Grants - Apply by September 15!

Biidaasige Park is Bigger, Better and more Beautiful!

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