Larry Willis hopes Slave Lake Town councillors will stick with their original plan with their smoking bylaw. That is, he hopes they’ll pass the proposed legislation that’ll see eating establishments set aside 60 per cent of their floor space for non-smokers. The bylaw was up for second and third reading last night (Tues., July 15)
Three of seven councillors were absent at last council’s last regular meeting, so the remaining four agreed to postpone the vote until this month.
That’s even though a room full of residents showed up for – and made presentations at – a public hearing into the bylaw last month. And while he has no doubt Mayor Ray Stern and every councillor will have heard countless opinions by the time they voted, Willis – spokesman for the 13 or so restaurants in this town that support the 60-40 split bylaw, hopes they’re not pressured by rhetoric – or health statistics.
“We all know someone who has suffered the effects of cancer,” Willis said last week. Those heart-wrenching stories are a given. So is the fact that smoking causes life-threatening illnesses.
“But I happen to know a woman who smoked two packs of cigarettes and drank numerous pots of coffee every day, and at 87 died of natural causes.”
Be that as it may, Willis says council’s current dilemma is not about health.
“We’re not debating a health issue,” he says, but fair treatment and taking a planned, sure and steady approach to an end result. Just as council was doing when it agreed to give businesses time to ease into a total ban on smoking in establishments that allow customers under the age of 18 years.
In the words of the Town’s own council-crafted Municipal Corporate Plan, “Mission and vision should drive change,” he says.
“And we believe one group’s mission should not cost another group’s livelihood.”
Likewise, he says, the same Corporate plan lists ‘providing for public safety’ as one of council’s prime objectives.
“If we’re out to protect the public and our youth, why are we targeting private businesses that provide freedom of choice for citizens?
“Why are private homes with smoking parents not being included?”
Willis says his group realizes that smoking bans are part of the new lifestyle – the ‘wave of the future’ he calls it. Members also realize that many cities have already adopted the tough stance on smoking in public places.
“It’s the wave of the future, but our frustration is that other cities were allowed to ease into this gently,” and were not forced to make changes with little or no warning.
“We’re just asking, ‘Institute this ban over time – not overnight’.”
The Northwest Inn has already made its dining room a no-smoking area, says Willis.
“We made the change, advertised it, and have hardly notice any difference” in numbers, even though he admits the dining room is not a high traffic area.
“One family said they came in because of the change, but that’s it.”
Some councillors insist making changes that’ll allow smoking to only continue in the hotel’s lounge is merely the ‘cost of doing business’. But Willis counters that restaurants have already taken a couple of serious hits in recent months – compliments of deficiencies in the Town’s water treatment system.
First, the hotel had to supply bottled water for clients to do everything from brushing their teeth to drinking for an entire long weekend when a potentially deadly algae bloom foiled the treatment plant last September. And it had to do the same earlier this year the Town issued a ‘boil water’ order because of high readings.
“I’ve already had to absorb the ‘cost of business’ twice this year.
“I only hope they won’t expect me to absorb more and put walls around my lounge — overnight.”

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