Deadline stretched
Last-minute deal on smoking toned down at last second

Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 15/99) - If the new smoking bylaw is approved, and it looks like it will be approved at the next council meeting, it will be four years before smoking is banned in the city.

How they voted

For:

Dave Lovell
Blake Lyons
Dave Ramsay
Bob Brooks

Against:

Kevin O'Reilly
Ben McDonald
Robert Slaven

A city committee last week recommended smoking be phased out two years after the new bylaw is approved, but that time limit doubled Monday night when a compromise brokered by Coun. Blake Lyons was approved by council.

Mayor Dave Lovell broke a 3-3 deadlock among councillors in approving the modification.

"Public health is important, I'm not trying to downplay that, but this is an issue of personal choice," said Lovell just after announcing which way he would vote.

"Your right to swing your fist stops where my nose starts."

That line of reasoning didn't sit well with those who wanted to see the ban sooner. After the meeting, regional health promotions officer Miriam Wideman, said arguments for a ban in four years instead of two on the basis of personal choice didn't make any sense.

Wideman said she was "disappointed, but not particularly surprised," at the outcome of the debate, then turned to Lovell and asked, "If you thought it was a matter of personal choice, why did you vote for a ban?"

"It's like this," said the mayor. "It was the best that could be done."

Lyons lobbied for the compromise -- those who supported the two-year ban would call it a compromise of a compromise -- after a noon- hour meeting the same day.

The change, he said, provided more consideration for those who have staked their life savings in restaurant businesses around town. Months ago, restaurateurs and food industry workers told council they were just beginning to recover from downturn in business and could ill-afford the effect of a ban.

Lyons said it would also afford voters to have their say on three occasions -- the Oct. 20 byelection and two general elections.

Under Lyons' amendment the bylaw calls for all restaurants, licensed dining rooms, clubs, private recreational facilities and canteens to have 50 per cent of their seating non-smoking by Dec. 31, 2001 and 75 per cent by Dec. 31, 2004. The ban will take effect Jan. 1, 2004.

"If this amendment fails, I will be looking toward something like the existing bylaw," said Lyons. "I serve notice where my vote will be."

Coun. Dave Ramsay, attending his last meeting as a councillor, said the matter should be put to a public vote as part of the coming byelection.

Proponents of a two-year ban contended it would have a negligible effect on business and that there is overwhelming support in the community for it.

"In my opinion, this is a regrettable mistake on the part of council and I think we've done a disservice to the community," said Ben McDonald.

Coun. Kevin O'Reilly was as critical, saying the decision demonstrated a "disappointing lack of leadership."

Regardless of their stance on the ban, councillors agreed on one thing -- that the bylaw, in the works for a year, has consumed far too much of staff and council's time.

That view was highlighted by an answer O'Reilly got from staff during a discussion of the bylaw six months ago.

He asked how many times the present bylaw, in force since 1992, has been enforced. The answer was not once.