The city’s protective and community services committee approved recommendations Feb. 15 from Ottawa Public Health to expand smoke-free spaces across the city.
If city council goes along with the proposals at its meeting on Feb. 22, Ottawa residents will no longer be allowed to smoke on municipal property, as well as restaurant patios.
The ban would include four beaches, more than 200 patios and 1,000 city parks, as well as arenas, sportfields and farmers’ markets. Even vendors in the market will be included under the changes.
Events and festivals on municipal property will also be smoke-free.
However, festivals such as Bluesfest will not be affected by the bylaw because the property falls under the jurisdiction of the National Capital Commission. The city cannot regulate the proposed bylaw on festivals or events held on provincial or federal property.
“The NCC is interested in working with us,” Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes said at the community and protective services meeting Feb. 15. “They would like to be supportive of this bylaw.”
However, there is no indication when the NCC would implement the changes.
Roads and sidewalks would also be excluded from the proposed changes, as they fall under provincial jurisdiction.
Committee members will be bringing the issue to the attention of the provincial government. “We need the leadership and partnership of the province,” said Bay Coun. Mark Taylor at the meeting.
The bylaw would come into effect at the beginning of April, with a warning period until July 1. After that date, offenders of the bylaw could face a fine of $305 for a first infraction.
The city has two bylaws in place that prohibit smoking in enclosed workplaces, as well as inside public buildings. The changes to the bylaw are part of the city’s renewed three-year smoke-free strategy.
The strategy includes a public awareness and engagement strategy to help prevent and reduce youth from starting to smoke, as well as an increase in programs to help smokers kick the habit.
Linda Anderson, the city's chief of bylaw and regulatory services, assured committee members that the city will not have to hire additional officers to enforce the bylaw. She said there will be no additional costs to the city.
“We already have officers deployed to deal with enforcement issues, so it will simply be absorbed within their regular duties,” she said.
Smoking and second-hand smoke costs the Ontario economy more than $2 billion per year in health related expenses, and hospitalization costs alone cost the city of Ottawa almost $40 million a year, according to a report by Ottawa Public Health.