Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 19/99) - Council agrees the rules governing smoking in the city need to be changed, but that's as close as it gets to consensus on the proposed new smoking bylaw.

"I am personally in favour of a very restrictive smoking bylaw," Coun. Kevin O'Reilly said Tuesday. O'Reilly told the city's public safety committee smoking should be banned in all indoor public places, places of employment and at city hall.

"I think that's going a bit far," said Mayor Dave Lovell, who said the bylaw should focus only on public places where minors are allowed.

"I wouldn't want to get into a position where we're banning smoking in the Gold Range," said Lovell. "There would be riots in the streets."

Coun. Peggy Near agreed, and questioned the authority of the city to ban smoking in privately-owned businesses, saying it was analogous to telling people they can't smoke in their own homes.

Brad Colpitts of the Stanton Regional Health Board, one of several health advocates at the meeting, said similar authority already exists in laws governing workplace health and safety.

Near also questioned how enforceable a smoking ban would be, noting Municipal Enforcement does not have the manpower to patrol for smokers.

"Why have a bylaw on the books that's unenforceable?" asked Near.

Municipal enforcement manager Paul Gamble said the division does not now actively conduct smoking patrols, but responds to complaints as they are received.

"It's a real hard piece of legislation to enforce at this point in time," said Gamble.

Near and Lovell also opposed eliminating a smoking room at city hall. Lovell noted the city went to great expense to install a ventilation system for the room for that purpose.

Senior administrator Max Hall said he had some concerns about pushing staff smokers outside. Hall said having visitors "coming through the front door having to walk through a cloud of smoke" was not in keeping with the image city hall wanted to project.

O'Reilly said the city has a responsibility to take a leadership role, particularly if it wants a ban in other workplaces. He said the territorial and federal governments have not allowed smoking in their facilities for years.

The committee voted to delete staff recommendations that a ban apply to city hall and all workplaces, and was in agreement that any changes should be phased in.

The proposed new smoking bylaw will be discussed at council Monday. Based on that discussion, staff will compose a draft of the new bylaw for more discussion by committee and council.