January 2026
Press Release: Toronto Parents Argue that Ontario’s Case Against Bike Lanes Violates “Best Interest of Child” Principle
Press Release: Toronto Parents Argue that Ontario’s Case Against Bike Lanes Violates “Best Interest of Child” Principle
Toronto, ON, January 20, 2026 | A group of Toronto parents aims to once again prevent the province from dismantling city bike lanes by serving as interveners in the upcoming Cycle Toronto v. Ontario appeals hearing, which will take place on January 28 at the Ontario Court of Appeal.
The parents are volunteers with For Our Kids Toronto, a local parent-led climate action group, which is part of the pan-Canadian For Our Kids network. They argue that removing bike lanes would violate the “best interest of the child” (BIC) principle, a legal principle articulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and commonly used as an interpretive guide in Canadian courts.
Dr. Alison Bruni, For Our Kids Toronto member, says that “As a parent and a family doctor, there is nothing more important to me than the health and wellbeing of our children. Dismantling bike lanes will put kids’ lives at risk, and we have to stand up for them.”
For Our Kids Toronto member Vanessa Brown says that, “Bike lanes are not a luxury. They protect our kids from getting hit by cars, reduce the amount of toxic pollution filling their lungs, and help them live healthy and active lives. If the province were seriously considering the best interest of our children, it would not be trying to dismantle this essential infrastructure.”
For Our Kids Toronto member Anne Keary says, “Children experience the impacts of air pollution, traffic danger, and climate change first — and for the longest. Protecting bike lanes isn’t about cycling over cars – it's about protecting kids’ right to move safely, breathe clean air, and grow up in livable communities.”
For Our Kids Toronto also served as interveners last year, when the Ontario Superior Court ruled that the province’s plan to dismantle bike lanes was unconstitutional. In the ruling, Justice Schabas wrote, “The Intervener For Our Kids discusses the disproportionate impact of removing the target bike lanes on children. It highlights the benefits to children of making streets safer through the use of bike lanes, which will encourage bicycle use and all of the physical and environmental benefits which follow, arguing that their removal is contrary to the ‘best interests of the child.’ There is no indication the government considered this issue at all.” Schabas also wrote, “While the legislature is at liberty to make policy that may be ineffective, it is constitutionally not at liberty to put children's lives at risk in pursuit of folly.”
For media inquiries and interview requests, contact Ben Losman at [email protected]
About For Our Kids: For Our Kids is a parent-led network of volunteers, driven to take climate action for our kids, grandkids and future generations. For more information, visit https://www.ForOurKids.ca
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