May 5, 2006
We're Getting the Ban Back Together!
Ban there, done that. In lieu of the City of Chicago's ban on foie gras, Toronto and our various bans seem a lot less authoritarian. In fact, we would venture to say our city is substantially lagging in the ban game. To make ourselves feel better about this, Torontoist has put together a list of memorable bans, almost bans and future bans for the city. Since there is no comprehensive list of banned items (that we are aware of), add any that we've missed in the comment boards.
Bans:
Smoking
Pesticides
Pit bulls
Almost bans:
Toy guns
Serving raw, uncooked flesh (ie sushi) in restaurants
Segways
50 Cent
Nut sales in public places
Postering
Homelessness
Rush hour truck deliveries in downtown core
Future bans:
Foie gras
Noise on Sundays
Ad trucks on smog days
Lucy Zilio
Fun fact about banning: In the mid-90s, the city put a ban on pimps, 10 years before the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" won the Oscar.



Lucy is ban-proof. She has been around so surprisingly long that I suspect she's also earthquake and H-bomb resistant.
Didn't some politician ban the BareNaked Ladies from playing City Hall because she thought their name was sexist?
Yeah, I can't remember her name but it was the same person Miller beat (besides Tory) to become mayor. That's the main reason why I didn't vote for her.
Barbara Hall
Segways have also been regreattably banned, so we won't see Gob from Arrested Development around here anytime soon.
I think the Bare Naked Ladies were banned from playing Toronto City Hall years back.
oops. should've read the comments first...
How about Madonna, was she banned?
Miss Universe was (according to Moon beam http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2005/07/toronto_bans_be_1.html)
They almost also banned fireworks...
Don't forget about squeegee kids!
I've had the fois gras in Chicago (MK). It was tasty!!!! ^_^
One other thing, I saw Hustle and Flow, and the movie was great! Great lighting, great acting (for the most part), and an ok story. But the song It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp SUCKED!!! Plain and simple. That song blowed and I cannot for the life of me understand HOW IT WON THE ACADEMY AWARD.
^_^
Don't forget lawnsales.
I think we also have a ban on circus acts featuring live animals, courtesy of Peter Tabuns. And maybe a ban on exotic pet ownership? And I think on selling live chickens as food?
And beauty pageants are banned from Nathan Phillips Square, as are (I think) helium balloons.