A new smoking bylaw in Gibsons is being written to “make a statement” – even if proves impractical to enforce, according to Mayor Wayne Rowe.
Gibsons council voted April 19 to tighten up the restrictions in a draft presented for first and second readings.
If the bylaw goes through to adoption as is, it would ban smoking, including e-cigarettes or “vaping,” in parks, at public beaches, on public trails and on “the grounds of any Town-owned building used for public recreation.”
The draft bylaw includes a 7.5-metre buffer around doors and windows of public buildings, as opposed to the 3.5 metres required under the Tobacco Control Act. The buffer would also apply around areas where smoking is banned, like park boundaries and bus shelters.
There would also be a smoking ban on pub patios, with no grandfathering for Gramma’s or the Blackfish – the two pubs in town with patios where smoking is permitted under the current bylaw (although only the Blackfish actually allows smoking).
“When I think about it, really, what this bylaw is intended to do is make a statement,” Rowe said. “I think we all recognize that we really don’t have the resources to strictly police it … What this is really about is making a statement about the kind of environment we wish to promote within the town, so from that perspective I could support the broader statement [of tougher restrictions].”
“We’re leading with our chin,” said Coun. Jeremy Valeriote of going with tougher restrictions. “If we get some reaction then we can deal with that, but I think it could change something over time, and it’s a values statement we can be very clear about.” Valeriote also noted that eliminating as many exceptions as possible would make the bylaw easier to understand and follow.
One area the proposed bylaw is not going to be as strict as it could be is around signs. The Town is opting to require as few as possible, but people organizing public events on Town property will have to include the fact that the event is “smoke free” on flyers and promotional material.
That was a particular concern for Coun. Stafford Lumley, who said in earlier debates that he’s worried about “sign clutter,” especially in Lower Gibsons.
Lumley, who’s a restaurateur in private life, also agreed with the idea that the new bylaw is really about signaling the Town’s ideals. “Let’s not think that people are just going to stop smoking. I’m sure they’re going to continue to smoke on the patio right next to the door, but we could put this out there and say ‘this is what we want.’”
Councillors backed the changes unanimously, but they also told staff to take steps to make sure there’s broad consultation before the bylaw moves to third reading and to talk directly with management at the Blackfish Pub, which would be the only business forced to make a significant change if the regulations are approved.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) has been pushing local governments to tighten smoking bylaws beyond the provincial minimum standards, and Gibsons is the first to go forward. The health authority has also agreed to help enforce the bylaw and get word of the tougher rules to business owners and the general public.
Town officials say they’ve been talking with their counterparts in Sechelt, who may take similar steps, and VCH representatives are scheduled to present their vision for tighter smoking bylaws to Sechelt’s planning and community development committee on April 27.
