Inuvik (May 07/04) - It's Monday morning at the Sunriser Cafe, which until last Saturday was the only restaurant in town that allowed smoking.

Two days after the Workers Compensation Board ban on smoking in the workplace ended the smoky breakfasts and coffee breaks at the Sunriser, restaurant manager Hans Maurer says it's too early to tell if his business will be affected.

"The weekend was busy with families coming to eat but the mornings have definitely been slow," he said.

Words echoed by Sunriser waitress Mary-Ann Francey.

"More families were out on Saturday and Sunday, but the crowds we get for break-time coffees have definitely dropped off."

Only restaurant

In July of last year, the Sunriser Cafe became the only restaurant to restrict entry to those under 19 in order to be exempt -- as local bars were -- from the Town of Inuvik's smoking bylaw.

However, with the WCB outlawing smoking in any workplace, no longer are bars or restaurants such as the Sunriser exempt.

Vince Brown, president of the Mackenzie Hotel Group which runs four bars in town, says that while it's too early to determine the ban's effect on the group's bottom line he suspects it will not be positive.

"Looking at it statistically, drinkers are more likely to smoke so if you tell the majority of your customers that they can't smoke in your establishment, then it's going to hurt," he said.

At the Mad Trapper -- one of the hotel group's watering holes -- renovations that will include a closed-in smoking room are underway.

Though Brown says the WCB is telling the hotel group it can't have the room, he says other jurisdictions have allowed similar arrangements.

Ventilated room

"No employees will be permitted in the room, it will be ventilated and nobody will be allowed to bring drinks inside," said Brown of the planned space.

"I agree with the WCB in its efforts to keep workers safe and in no way are we looking to butt heads with them over this," he said.

"In my opinion it is much better to have smokers in a designated place rather than standing in a crowd outside the bar smoking."