Toronto officials are reviewing a city bylaw after a group of seniors walking through a public park were warned they would be fined if they did not obtain a permit.

The 12 seniors were walking through Etobicoke's Humber Bay Park on Sept. 21 as a warm-up for a twice-weekly fitness class they pay for. As they finished, a city bylaw enforcement officer asked them for a permit.

A Toronto bylaw states that any person or business that holds events for profit in city-owned parks must obtain a permit, which costs $28.65 an hour.

When the seniors said they didn't have a permit, the officer asked a woman for her contact information. When she refused, he took pictures of the licence plates on some of the seniors' vehicles, members of the group said.

The seniors were told the group faced a $250 fine the next time.

Businesses must still pay

Mayor David Miller said Thursday that the enforcement officer was too strict in his interpretation of the bylaw.

"There's better ways of doing this," Miller told CBC News.

"We're going to review the policy and see what can be done to make sure people can walk in parks, but when commercial businesses use city facilities, they pay. That's the intent of the policy — it's been there for a long time."

Members of the group welcomed the review.

"I'm very happy to hear that, because it's not just going to affect my group," said Anne Wheatley, who runs the fitness program. "It's going to affect a lot of groups that use these parks."

The seniors returned to the park Wednesday without a permit. They did not have to pay a fine or deal with a bylaw enforcement officer.