Town clamping down on smokers at arena

The gloves are off.
After receiving several complaints from the public about people smoking outside the doors at the Memorial Sports Centre, Community Services manager George Bell said the town will be calling in enforcement officers from the Northwestern Health Unit.
“We’ve tried and tried and tried to get people to stop, and we’re now going to notify the enforcement officers to come down and start writing tickets,” he remarked at Tuesday night’s council meeting, adding violators are subject to a $300 fine.
Bell said an enforcement officer has been here before, but at that time he only gave out warnings.
“This time, I think we’re past that,” he stressed.
Bell clarified that those who must smoke have to stick to “open spaces”—that is, far away from the building and any of its doorways and out from under the canopy, which is considered an enclosed space.
“Taking the ‘no smoking’ posters down and moving the ashtray doesn’t make a difference—you’re not allowed to smoke there,” Bell said.
“We ask people to be considerate of others when using this recreational facility,” echoed Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig. “It’s a public facility. There’s no smoking allowed inside, there’s no smoking allowed under the canopy.”
Coun. John Albanese, who also is chair of the health unit board, warned smokers that enforcement officers could be at the arena looking for violators when they least expect it.
“It’s not like you have to call them,” he told Bell. “They could be there anytime.”
McCaig said the town has forwarded local citizens’ letters of complaint to the health unit, which is well aware of the situation and could, on its own volition, send an enforcement officer here in response to that.
“We’re bringing it forward so that everybody gets a heads up to comply with the regulations regarding smoking in and outside the facility,” he stressed.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•declared Nov. 16 as “Louis Riel Day” in the Town of Fort Frances, as per the request of the Sunset Country Métis Association;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the sale of 821 Sixth St. W. to Iron Range Bus Lines Inc.;
•approved applications for tax adjustment at 321 Sixth St. W., 910 Smith Ave., and 821 Sixth St. W., as per the recommendations of the Administration and Finance executive committee;
•approved a break-open ticket application from La Verendrye General Hospital Auxiliary at Bonnie Blue from Nov. 15, 2007-May 15, 2008;
•referred a letter from the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce regarding road construction concerns to the Operations and Facilities executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred a financial request from the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal for advertising costs of the MasoniCh.i.p. child identification program to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•received a request from the Economic Development Advisory Committee to have CN make a presentation to council regarding increased train traffic through the area (the town will contact CN about making a presentation at a future council meeting);
•received a request from the Economic Development Advisory Committee that council consider developing a marketing and branding project for the Town of Fort Frances, and will to report back to EDAC regarding ongoing heritage tourism efforts; and
•deferred a request from the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce to appoint a new representative from the Town of Fort Frances to sit on its board of directors until after the Jan. 14, 2008 byelection.