TORONTO -- The City of Toronto is getting taken to court over the plastic bag ban.

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association announced Thursday it has taken legal action to stop the bag bylaw from being implemented on Jan. 1.

The OCSA is arguing the bag ban falls outside the city's jurisdiction under the City of Toronto Act and was approved "without a proper consultation process."

News of the lawsuit comes a day after Public Works chairman Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong invited the private sector to sue the city over the bag ban.

"For those members of council who didn't support the bag bylaw and others who regret they supported it in the beginning ... we're leaving it to the private sector to save us from our own madness," Minnan-Wong told the public works committee on Wednesday.

"They have to save us by hopefully going to court and having this stupidity overturned."

In a press release, OCSA CEO Dave Bryans said the lawsuit is aimed at preventing the "unfair and poorly thought-out bylaw" from being put in place.

"The proposed bylaw is invalid and was rushed forward with essentially no consultation with the businesses it will harm," Bryans said.

"The bylaw selectively exempts dozens of plastic bags, but targets a single type -- one that many retailers rely upon and that research shows consumers frequently re-use after they carry home their purchases."
City officials have yet to respond to a media request about the lawsuit.