I am writing as a concerned mother and resident of Innisfil to formally request that Town Council take immediate action to address the growing and increasingly dangerous use of electric scooters in our community.

I am a mother of three young children, and I no longer feel safe walking with my children on the sidewalks and pathways of the community I call home.

This is not an abstract concern for my family.

My 30-pound, three-year-old toddler was recently struck by an e-scooter while we were on a walking path. By the grace of God, my husband was close enough and reacted quickly enough to pull our son out of the scooter’s path before he suffered a much more serious injury. Our child was injured in the incident, but it could have been substantially worse.

I cannot accept the idea that this is simply something residents are expected to live with.

I have personally had several occasions where children operating e-scooters have come rapidly through stop signs and directly into my path, creating situations where I have nearly struck them with my vehicle. I have witnessed children operating these scooters without helmets. I have witnessed two scooters travelling at speeds that appeared faster than surrounding vehicles on the paved walking path attached to Line 6 where the posted speed limit is 60km/hr. 

Yesterday, I witnessed three e-scooters being operated at what appeared to be dangerous and excessive speeds through the new Margaretta Park, an area filled with small children and families.

These are not isolated theoretical concerns. They are repeated, observable safety issues happening in our community.

I have reported these incidents to the police, and I will continue to report them. However, I am writing now because I need my voice and the voices of other concerned parents and residents  to be heard at the municipal level.

There is a clear demand for municipal action to be taken.

Ontario’s current electric scooter regulation already establishes safety requirements. Among other things, it prohibits anyone under 16 from operating an electric scooter, requires those under 18 to wear a helmet,  to maintain a safe distance and yield from pedestrians and prohibits operating an e-scooter on a sidewalk, trail, path, walkway or public park unless the operation is permitted by the applicable municipal by-law. 

The regulation also specifically prohibits operating an e-scooter on a sidewalk, trail, path or walkway or in a public park at a speed that is markedly greater than the speed of nearby pedestrians, and prohibits operating one in a manner that may harm, injure or damage a person or property. 

Despite these provisions, residents are being left with a very real enforcement problem.

If the Town’s existing municipal framework does not provide police and municipal enforcement officers with a clear, practical and enforceable mechanism to address these violations, then we have a serious gap between what the law says and what residents can actually rely upon for their safety.

That gap needs to be addressed. 

This is about the safety of our children. 

I understand that municipalities must balance many competing interests. I also understand that not every risk can be eliminated from everyday life.

But there is a fundamental difference between accepting ordinary risk and allowing a preventable enforcement gap to continue when residents are repeatedly reporting dangerous conduct.

I should not have to walk with my three small children wondering whether an e-scooter will come flying around a corner, through a stop sign or through a park filled with toddlers.

My three-year-old should be able to walk on a community pathway without being struck by an electric scooter.

Parents should not have to choose between allowing their children to enjoy their neighbourhood and worrying about whether a high-speed scooter will come through a public park.

Everyone deserves to feel safe in the community they call home.

These scooters are being operated irresponsibly making them unsafe for everyone.

My concern is not hypothetical. In July 2025, a three-year-old boy in nearby Tottenham was struck by an electric motorcycle and suffered life-threatening injuries. He had to be airlifted to a Toronto-area hospital. Thankfully, he survived. However, that  incident is a devastating reminder of how quickly a young child’s life can be changed by a collision involving a high-powered electric device. 

I cannot stand by while another child is seriously injured before meaningful action is taken.