Councillor seeks smoking ban near sports fields

One city councillor wants take a second look at the rules governing smoking at outdoor sporting facilities in Prince Albert.

The City is taking a second look at its bylaws and policies governing where residents can – and cannot – smoke. Currently, the City’s no-smoking policy for facility entrances, outdoor pools and spectator areas bans smoking within nine metres of “any spectator area at any outdoor sport facilities located in City [p]arks.” The policy was passed by city council in April 2010.

On Monday, Coun. Ted Zurakowski asked to have administration review both on the heels of a presentation made by Jim Toye of the City’s new strategic plan. In it, Toye mentioned a goal of an “innovative and healthy community.”

“I spent quite a bit of time on the soccer pitches and diamonds throughout the City during the summer and fall up until this weekend and I’m not sure how well it’s enforced,” Zurakowski said. “It certainly gives me a bit of a giggle when I see one mother giving another mother the ‘what for’ when a smoke is pulled out because there is some signage there, but I’m not sure if it’s good enough.”

Zurakowski suggested that it may be time to go further with the no-smoking policy, citing a newly passed bylaw by the City of Warman to ban smoking within City playgrounds, facilities, parks and sporting facilities. That policy comes into effect in the new year.

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“Not that I’m asking for certain stipulations in the bylaw, what I’m asking for tonight, is a review,” he told members of council.

And council voted for a review of existing no-smoking bylaws and policies. The review will include information collected about similar policies in other cities, as well as the cost of bylaw enforcement and signage changes.

After the meeting, Zurakowski said that council now has a couple of weeks to think the issue over and the public has an opportunity to weigh in. “And I wonder if it isn’t time to, especially where youth are involved, to take the smoking away from the facilities,” he said.

He agreed that enforcement of a total ban would be an issue. “But I’ve been at the outdoor sporting facilities where the public, the parents enforce each other, where it’s a look and a word is said and then it’s like ‘oh really, I can’t smoke here? OK I’ll walk further down, 50 metres or something and I’ll come back when I’m done. So by in large, I think the public enforces themselves.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames