Petition Kills Smokers' Hopes for Ban Review

November 22, 2001
Ken Gray
The Ottawa Citizen

A petition quietly passed among councillors at Ottawa City Hall will effectively mark the end of municipal attempts to change the controversial anti-smoking bylaw.

Mayor Bob Chiarelli and 15 councillors signed the petition, which says they have no intention of re-opening the smoking-ban debate or granting exemptions to the bylaw. To re-open an issue at council, 17 councillors need to support it.

The petition, started by West Carleton's Dwight Eastman and helped by the mayor's staff, halts any chance of reviewing the bylaw. The petition was sent to PUBCO general manager Barry McKay yesterday by Mr. Eastman. Mr. McKay said he was "surprised and appalled" by it.

"They are treating us like a bunch of goons and I'm embarrassed by it," said Mr. McKay, who leads the coalition of pub and bar owners against the bylaw. "This is a desperate act of desperate men and women," Mr. McKay said. "The democratic system shouldn't run this way."

Mr. Eastman said he wanted to end an issue that has enraged supporters and opponents.

"I just wanted to put it to bed," Mr. Eastman said. "This has already been thrashed through council."

The councillor said he ran the petition idea past the mayor, who said he would support it. Constituents have supported the bylaw overwhelmingly, Mr. Eastman said.

Capital Ward Councillor Clive Doucet called the smoking debate "a dead issue. It has been a long, painful discussion."

Herb Kreling, of Orléans Ward, said there is nothing stopping a councillor from raising the issue at council. However, given the results of the petition, Mr. Kreling said, any such move is unlikely to meet much success.

"We spent a lot of time discussing this," Mr. Kreling said. "The success of this being reintroduced is questionable. "It would take a new council to reconsider it," Mr. Kreling said.

Councillor Rainer Bloess thought the petition was not an open process.

"It is a bizarre way of doing local government," Mr. Bloess said. "Is this how the mayor takes leadership?"

Mr. Chiarelli said the petition was "fully democratic" and fought the "impression that growing numbers of councillors are wavering."

Mr. McKay, who has a financial interest in a couple of bars, said PUBCO supports ventilated rooms for smokers. PUBCO lost its case against the bylaw in provincial court in September and is appealing that decision. No date has been set for the appeal, but it is expected early next year.

In addition to the mayor, the councillors who signed the petition were: Wendy Stewart, Mr. Eastman, Diane Deans, Janet Stavinga, Mr. Kreling, Alex Cullen, Elisabeth Arnold, Alex Munter, Mr. Doucet, Rick Chiarelli, Phil McNeely, Jacques Legendre, Michel Bellemare, Peter Hume and Madeleine Meilleur