Final public smoking meeting goes tonight

While sporting fewer presenters than the second meeting April 16, Mayor Glenn Witherspoon and town council will get a chance to hear more opinions about a proposed bylaw to ban smoking in enclosed public places here at the third and final meeting on the issue tonight at the Civic Centre.
Clerk Glen Treftlin said late yesterday afternoon, just before the deadline to sign up to make a presentation, that four people will be on hand for the meeting, which gets underway at 7 p.m.
Tonight’s scheduled speakers include Dr. Nancy Naylor, Lisa Larson, Marylyss Thiessen, and Roberta Oliver, president of the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, who also spoke at both the April 2 and 16 meetings.
Presenters will be allotted 10 minutes each.
Four written statements by Kim Metke, Dr. Cam Moorhouse, the United Native Friendship Centre, and the Northern Action Group also will be read aloud at tonight’s meeting.
“It will be another chance for us to hear the public’s opinions on the issue. Then, it will be decision time, with more research and work by our administrative staff,” said Mayor Glenn Witherspoon this morning.
“I expect you’ll hear some more from us in a month or so,” he added.
Past presenters have been roughly split on whether a smoking bylaw should be established. But some like Guy Donaldson, co-owner of both Robin’s Donuts outlets here along with wife, Kelly Spicer, has opted to go smoke-free on a trial basis at their downtown location to find out what the impact would really be like.
The idea to hold public meetings on the smoking bylaw issue first was brought up in January after the Northwestern Health Unit launched a postcard campaign to gauge public support for a ban on smoking in all enclosed public places.
Then in February, Dr. Pete Sarsfield, CEO and medical officer of health for the health unit, officially declared second-hand smoke a “health hazard.”
Dr. Sarsfield has since said he’s prepared to take legal action against district municipalities that don’t establish such a bylaw.
Mayor Witherspoon reaffirmed at the April 16 meeting that town council is committed to gathering more information on smoking bylaws and the impact they’ve had on businesses elsewhere before making any decision here.