Christopher Hofley / The BUZZ
By Jeff Carson
The new smoking regulations passed by council on Feb. 22 are drawing mixed reactions from Centretown residents and businesses, especially as people start to think about the upcoming summer season.
Smoking will be banned from all municipal property, including parks, beaches, playgrounds, sports fields and outdoor fruit and vegetable markets as of April 2. The ban will also extend to all bar and restaurant patios.
Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes chairs the city’s Board of Health. Holmes voted in favour of the new regulations, which only two councillors opposed.
“The renewed regulations are part of a larger strategy adopted by the Board of Health that will make Ottawa a healthier city for all,” said Holmes.
The goal of this strategy is to reduce smoking rates and lessen exposure to second-hand smoke for children and non-smokers.
For some the ban will reduce the temptation to smoke. Jessica Lawson, 26, lives and
works in Centretown and recently quit smoking.
“My initial reaction, oddly enough, was negative,” said Lawson. “I do not really believe it is the prerogative of city councillors to impede on a person’s life like that. But the more I thought about it I realized the bylaw isn’t that different from how we can’t just drink beer anywhere.”
As someone who was a daily smoker for years, Lawson acknowledges the summer would have tested her resolve.
“When [my friends and I] go out socially to a patio or to a park it is second nature to, say, have a pint and a cigarette,” said Lawson. “So, in a way, the ban is a relief.”
Restaurant owners and employees are in a tough position, as many popular patios will have to adjust to the new rules.
The James Street Pub patio is almost always full once the warm weather hits, but with customers having to head to the sidewalk to smoke, the atmosphere could change.
“We’re not impressed,” said Alex Munro, vice president of operations and development at Heart and Crown Irish Pubs,
which owns the James Street Pub.
“The City of Ottawa has really put the pressure on us,” said Munro, expecting that the majority of enforcement problems will fall on the shoulders of their staff. “We’re going to have to hire more people.”
Munro said the situation could be dire for the James Street Pub, especially with the Ottawa Senators set to make a playoff run,
a chaotic time for all sports bars.
“It’s going to be a nightmare, more so during hockey games,” said Munro. “It could impact us so much we could have to close the doors.”
On top of the expected health benefits, people around Centretown say the ban could result in cleaner parks and a better environment for servers who work in bars with patios.
“For a lot of my friends who are servers, they are thrilled that they won’t have to inhale second-hand smoke all day at work,” said Lawson. “It’s not a choice for them.”
There will be an education period for people to learn the new rules beginning April 2 and fines will be issued as of July 2.