Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 06/99) - Regency International Hotels director of operations, Curtis Sagmeister, called the current smoking bylaw "too restrictive" in a letter he sent to city council last week.

Sagmeister concluded the letter by writing: "I would advocate for a repeal of the current bylaw before I would support an even more restrictive one."

Regency International owns two properties in Yellowknife, the Explorer Hotel and the Discovery Inn.

"My understanding is the bylaw amendments are telling us we can't allow something that is legal in our own businesses," Sagmeister said.

"That would severely restrict our ability to service our guests. The only thing we sell is service so to restrict a majority of guests from doing something they enjoy would obviously and clearly affect the profitability and therefore the positive economic impact we have on the community."

He said a decade ago, hotels were around 90 per cent smoking rooms to 10 per cent non-smoking, but times have changed. Regency International now offer fewer smoking rooms than non-smoking rooms. Also, more areas in service outlets are non-smoking than ever before.

Sagmeister, a non-smoker himself, said the trend shows positive change can occur without forcing a law on the public.

"We address what our demographic asks of us. Should the guests demand more non-smoking rooms and areas, then obviously we provide that. If people told us they wanted pink televisions in the rooms, then that's what we'd give them," Sagmeister said.

"We've been very successful in what we do, we've set record sales and we're doing that because we're addressing what our guests are asking of us."

As he sees it, the current bylaw is unenforced and therefore ineffective. Further, he thinks the policing aspects of a stricter bylaw will fall on their shoulders, which is something they are not willing to do.

"The people will go wherever they feel comfortable and each individual in the hospitality business has to address who they want as guests," Sagmeister said.

"If they choose to cater to 100 per cent non-smokers, then all the power to them. However, (a total smoking ban) in regards to Yellowknife, I think, is a fairly dramatic position to be taking."

Yellowknife Mayor Dave Lovell said Sagmeister's argument illustrates the other side of the coin in the smoking debate.

"What administration is doing is talking to different people to address problems before the bylaw is drafted," Lovell said.

"It's very important that what we do has widespread public acceptance. The only way that will work is if we get both sides of the story."

He admits that totally banning smoking in public places where minors are permitted may be appropriate, but when it comes to restaurants and workplaces, that may be too intrusive.

"If business owners decide to allow smoking, we should try to be tolerant of that," Lovell said.

"We aren't in the business of making criminals of smokers overnight. I think smoking is going to fade out, but that will happen in 10 or 15 years, not 10 or 15 months. As the bylaw debate stands right now, the whole situation is fluid. It could go either way."

Sagmeister said the debate will open up as more businesses consider what a stricter bylaw means to them.

"I hope the business community will participate in this discussion as it progresses and allow their needs to be heard, whether they're for or against the proposed bylaw changes," Sagmeister said.