## Document record - Publisher: City of Toronto - Date: 2025-05-22 - Type: Primary record - Establishes: That Toronto enacted a 50-metre access-area by-law on 22 May 2025, in force 2 July 2025, providing on conviction only for a fine under the Provincial Offences Act with no dollar figure stated. - Original: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/bylaws/2025/law0488.pdf - Archived copy: http://web.archive.org/web/20260415053512/https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/bylaws/2025/law0488.pdf - Citation id: S020 # City of Toronto By-law 488-2025 ## What this document is By-law 488-2025 amends Chapter 743 of the City of Toronto Municipal Code, which governs the use of streets and sidewalks, by adding an article on access to what the by-law calls Social Infrastructure. It was enacted under City Council item CC30.5, adopted as amended on 21 and 22 May 2025, and approved by Mayoral Decision 8-2025 [S020]. Council carried the item by 16 votes to 9 at 4:50 p.m. on 22 May 2025, with no members absent [S217]. It is the measure usually described in press coverage as Toronto's bubble-zone by-law. ## What it establishes Section 743-54 defines an Access Area as City property within 50.0 metres of the boundaries of the property on which the Social Infrastructure sits, and defines Social Infrastructure as a childcare centre, a place of worship or a school [S020]. Council amended the staff proposal by replacing every reference to 20 metres with 50 metres [S217]. Under section 743-56A the General Manager establishes an area on the application of an owner who attests to a reasonable belief that a listed activity may occur; the designation runs for one renewable year [S020]. Section 2 brings the by-law into force on 2 July 2025 [S020]. Two points are commonly got wrong. First, the by-law contains no dollar figure: section 743-57A provides only that a person who contravenes the article is guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to a fine under the *Provincial Offences Act* [S020]. The widely reported maximum of five thousand dollars is a press figure and is not a term of the by-law. Second, the by-law is not a general ban on protest. Section 743-55D, as amended by Council, expressly does not prohibit peaceful gatherings, protests or demonstrations, including picketing in a labour dispute; the prohibitions bite only on specified conduct within a window of one hour either side of the institution's operating hours [S020]. ## Key passages Section 743-57A provides for "a fine under the Provincial Offences Act" [S020]. Section 2: "This by-law shall come into force on July 2, 2025." [S020]. The enacting clause reads "Enacted and passed on May 22, 2025." [S020]. ## How it is used on this site The by-law is cited on [Canada's position on BDS](/claims/canada-position-on-bds/) and [Is BDS legal in Canada?](/claims/is-bds-legal-in-canada/), and in the [glossary](/glossary/), [key facts](/key-facts/) and [timeline](/timeline/). ## Provenance and access The by-law is published as a PDF on the City's legislative documents server and has an archived copy. The Council item sits on the City's meeting management system, which refuses automated requests, so the recorded vote was read from the Internet Archive snapshot above. The set-fine schedule approved by the Ontario Court of Justice for Chapter 743, which would be the authoritative record of any fine amount, is not cited on this page. ## Page history 2026-09-21: First draft.