TORONTO — The City of Toronto has launched a program meant to fast-track the opening of restaurant and bar patios, once provincial guidelines allow it.
The program, called CafeTO, will identify spaces where restaurant and bar owners can expand their patios so they have extra space for physical distancing.
It is also meant to speed up the process to apply for and receive a permit to set up a sidewalk cafe or parklet.
Parklets extend the sidewalk into the curb lane, and the city says it's looking at using those spaces for patios.
As it stands, restaurants and patios remain closed in Ontario, but Toronto says it's planning ahead so business owners can quickly adapt once regulations change.
The city says more information will be released next week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2020.
The Canadian Press
