Municipal Licensing & Standards Division (MLS) is a municipal body in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

which grants licenses and permits for certain activities under the city's jurisdiction including by-law administration and enforcement services. Other areas under the MLS's purview including targeted strategies to address graffiti, noise, business inspections, parks regulations and animal services issues. Services also include business licensing and permitting, property standards, and animal care including control, shelter and adoption services. Toronto by-law 545 is what gives the MLS the power to license and inspect a variety of businesses in the city, in order to ensure public health, safety, consumer protection, and nuisance control. In 2017, an audit report from the Auditor General of Toronto found that the division had issued or renewed 87,813 licenses, generated $28.9 million (CAD) in license and permit fees, and average 64 summons and 35 tickets per officer per year. The Commission replaced the old Metro Toronto Licensing Commission and various other bodies of the former municipalities of

Metro Toronto The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was an upper-tier level of municipal government in Ontario, Canada, from 1953 to 1998. It was made up of the old city of Toronto and numerous townships, towns and villages that surrounded Toronto, which ...

. The current executive direct of the MLS is Carleton Grant.

Criticisms

The MLS has been criticized for body-rub parlors and 'holistic centers' that are officially licensed by the MLS but often advertise erotic massages that violate city bylaws and are part of

sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the ...

. In 2018, the

Toronto Police The Toronto Police Service (TPS) is a municipal police force in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the primary agency responsible for providing law enforcement and policing services in Toronto. Established in 1834, it was the first local police ser ...

created a working group in partnership with the MLS to identify long-term support and services for sex trafficking survivors and to develop prevention strategies. The MLS is also in charge of regulating the use of

fireworks Fireworks are a class of Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a l ...

in Toronto, where the sale and use of fireworks is only allowed without a permit on two civic holidays:

Canada Day Canada Day (french: Fête du Canada), formerly known as Dominion Day (french: Fête du Dominion), is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 18 ...

and

Victoria Day Victoria Day (french: Fête de la Reine, lit=Celebration of the Queen) is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday preceding May 25. Initially in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday, it has since been celebrated as the offi ...

. However a growing push from the various multicultural communities of Toronto have urged a change to the bylaws that allow fireworks at holidays such as

Lunar New Year Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar. The Lunar New Year as a celebration is observed by numerous cultures. It is also named " Chinese New Year" becau ...

and

Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...

. Conversely, other residents of Toronto have pushed for more stringent enforcement of illegal fireworks prior to Canada Day. Due to surging inflation, the MLS proposed a $1 surcharge on taxicab fares on a temporary basis as fuel costs have become prohibitive to cab drivers.

References

External links

Official site
Municipal government of Toronto {{DEFAULTSORT:Toronto Municipal Licensing and Standards Division