ch price tag, that's all well and good. So is the neat "Toronto" grab strap on the back and a Presto card-sized wrist pocket.

The company's stated reason for making the coat so reflective, however, is raising eyebrows: "Our signature reflective detailing [is] ideal for increased visibility on city streets."

Oof.


For those unaware, Toronto is in the midst of what many are calling a cyclist and pedestrian death epidemic.

Rates of fatalities on the city's streets have been rising consistently since around 2012, when Toronto Police started issuing far fewer driving tickets thanks to the elimination of a dedicated team of traffic enforecement officers.

The City of Toronto has spent millions of dollars in recent years trying to eliminate such road deaths as part of Mayor John Tory's Vision Zero plan, but to no avail.

As of late 2019, an estimated six people are hit by cars in the city every single day. A total of 66 people were killed or seriously injured in traffic collisions last year, according to police — 4o of them (or just over 60 per cent) were pedestrians.


Noble as the company's intentions may have been, Canada Goose is being panned for trying to "capitalize on Toronto's deadly street culture."

"Is Canada Goose trolling Toronto's dead pedestrian problem?" commented one Twitter user in disbelief.

"Does it come with a stylish reflective arm band?" wrote another, referencing a recent and much-criticized Toronto Police initiative that positioned reflective arm bands as a form of protection against cars. "'Cause if not, lost cross-marketing opportunity."

Others are simply floored by how much the product costs. Read LessRead less about "Toronto Jacket is a versatile