This past Sunday, at various locations throughout Toronto, there were no cars in sight.

With street activities ranging from clowns to live music, face painting to free bike repairs, street food to street hockey, chess tournaments to juggling, and chalk art to raffles, Toronto residents rolled, skated, skipped, and strolled around town to welcome International Car Free Day.

Supported by the Sierra Club of Canada, Car Free Day activities in Toronto echoed celebrations in thousands of other cities throughout the world.

The event was organized by a diverse range of citizens and activists concerned about the environment, human health, urban spaces and the impact of the automobile.

In addition to the outdoor festivities at over ten different car-free locations, this year’s Car Free Day has embraced a citizen campaign that seeks to restrict car traffic in the Kensington Market area. At least on this day, the otherwise car-crammed Augusta Ave. (not to mention Baldwin St.) was refreshingly free for only people and bicycles.

Kensington business owner Shamez Amlani is eager to turn the Market into a car-free area. “A car-free zone, in the long term, would surely beautify the neighbourhood and make it more of a draw to people.” John Pavao, whose family runs the bulk-food store Casa Acoreana, agreed, saying a pedestrian-safe area with only “people traffic would be good for the market.” The Kensington Market Working Group is actively encouraging the City of Toronto to consider a “pedestrian-safe zone.”

Other storeowners in the Market disagree. “If the use of the motor vehicle in Kensington Market is limited there will be no customers,” said Gustav Fisher, of the Kensington Market Business Association, in a letter to his members.

Arja Chopra and David Monteiro share this sentiment. Chopra, owner of Sugar and Spice, said it is “a beautiful idea” but one that would certainly “kill her business.”

David Monteiro, owner of Miramar Furniture and Appliances, feels the same way. “There are deliveries,” Mr. Monteiro said, and “people have to have access for shopping.” He does concede that “as long as it’s not interfering with the business” he might be able to get used to the idea.

Amlani said that the community should draw on the experiences of other urban areas that have creatively experimented with curtailing private car access and have, as a result, benefited economically. “The rights of access to businesses and residences would have to be guaranteed.”

This debate, however, is not a new one. It comes up every ten years or so. Almani showed a map of Kensington with sketched plans for a proposed pedestrian mall, dated 1978.

Almani is circulating a petition to get the city to revisit the plan for a car-free Kensington again.

Last year’s event, the first in North America, was held along St George St. between Harbord and College, and included an address from Canadian educator and environmentalist David Suzuki.

Photograph by Ryan Clements