Council delays smoking by-law decision

A proposal to extend the smoking by-law to nine metres has once again been pushed off for another week.

Timmins city council voted to defer the item after much discussion, stemming from a Downtown BIA survey.

Councillor Rick Dubeau cites information in other cities in the North with the nine-metre rule.  He says those by-laws have provisions where people can smoke in vehicles and on sidewalks.

“We cannot implement this so no more discussion is required until such time we get more information,” he said.

The survey—the result of which, along with comments can be found HERE—shows 61.7% of owners who answered would support a move to put all smokers at least nine metres away from entrance ways, which is actually the standard according to the Smoke Free Ontario Act.

222 surveys were sent out, but only 60 came back, or 27%.

As well, by a close 51.7% margin, businesses say do feel the current three metre by-law sufficient to deter smokers from their entrance.

Another blowout stat shows 78.3% of you had complaints come your way for having smokers in your entrance way.