Tory says city-issued tickets for street basketball and hockey nets ‘waste of time’

TORONTO — Mayor John Tory says the city needs to lay off on issuing tickets to families that use hockey and basketball nets on streets.

The mayor spoke with media on Tuesday morning and said the idea of issuing tickets to homes where children are playing hockey or basketball on the streets is wasted time.

“Most kids are sensible enough and their parents keep any eye on them to move the hockey nets off the street when there are cars coming along,” Tory said.

“What’s next? are we going to have somebody moving that we should ban Halloween because kids walk along the side walks in the dark?”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What's next? are we going to have somebody moving that we should ban Halloween because kids walk along the side walks in the dark?"

Families in Armour Heights area have been issued violation warnings for having nets that encroach on city property.

“It’s typical of the waste of time that people engage in,” Tory said.

“I think there are ways we can work this out without writing tickets and all this silliness and let kids play ball hockey.”

READ MORE: City threatens to issue tickets to residents with hockey, basketball nets

But parents in the Armour Heights area say there is a lack of green space and kids are forced to play on the streets.

“A resident has complained that the nets impede traffic on these streets — which I find stressing,” Michael Ashcroft, neighbourhood resident said on Tuesday.

“I think we have to be realistic on what our priorities are … Do we want to keep our children to be inside and expect them to live a sedentary lifestyles or do we want them to be active and do we want to encourage community involvement in our neighbourhood.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I think we have to be realistic on what our priorities are … Do we want to keep our children to be inside and expect them to live a sedentary lifestyles or do we want them to be active and do we want to encourage community involvement in our neighbourhood."

Residents have been issued warnings for bylaw violations, which state “no person shall obstruct, encumber, damage, foul, or cause or permit the obstructing, encumbering, damaging or fouling of any street, or interfere with the clearing of snow, or install or place any unauthorized encroachment, object, article or thing, on, over, along, across, under, or in a street.”

City staff say penalties for non-compliance can range from $90 to $200.