Timmins city council will need more time to make its decision on a proposed amendment to a bylaw regarding smoking.
The amendment would see the distance required to be away from a door into a business increased from 3 metres to 9 metres. It has been met with a very mixed reaction from the public as well as those who work in Downtown Timmins.
At Monday night's city council meeting a number of concerns were discussed.
Walter Palubiskie, who owns and operates a pet shop on Third Avenue, was permitted to step forward and offer his perspective.
He is also the owner of the building, and a member of the Downtown Timmins BIA Board of Directors. This didn't hinder him from throwing a bit of shade towards the supposed pro-amendment stance of the organization.
"The BIA is claiming they represent the business owners. I've spoken to a few other business owners downtown, and not one of them were consulted about this," he said.
Palubiskie feels like the change will further discourage potential customers from the downtown area.
"I'm not trying to chase away people. I'm trying to encourage people. Right now we have a parking problem. We have a few empty buildings downtown. It'd be nice to encourage more businesses."
He didn't care much for the idea that just because every other municipality in Ontario has this guideline, that Timmins should implement it too.
"As far I know smoking is a legal thing to do, and a person's rights. Timmins is Timmins. Its a proud place that I was born and raised in. I know I spoke to a lot of non-smokers who own the buildings downtown, and they're all up in arms over this."
He suggested that more input is needed before making a final decision.
"If council wants to delay the vote, I am prepared to go to every business owner downtown and get a petition signed by them" he said.
Councillor Rick Dubeau agreed with Palubiskie and said he had personally spoken to several business owners who were upset they hadn't been consulted.
"I asked if I could use their names, and they said no. Quite simply because they're business people, and they can't afford to offend anybody. I applaud Walter for coming forward here" he said.
Dubeau mentioned how the feedback he's received on social media was basically one third for, one third against, and one third who feels that even the current standard isn't enforced, thus rendering the amendment pointless.
Councillor Pat Bamford asked Palubiskie for his thoughts on having designated smoking areas.
Palubiskie felt that it wouldn't work for everyone, especially those with a small amount of employees.
Downtown building and business owner Walter Palubiskie pleads his case to council. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday "I've gotta watch my building, watch my store. When a customer comes in, I have to be there. I can't afford to be away from the store, maybe someone comes in, or a phone call rings, I have to go answer the phone because that's a potential customer," he said.
Bamford then asked where he sees the most amount of smokers on any given day.
"You know what? To be honest, the only place that I've ever seen a big problem with smoking is down at the corner where they have the government building," said Palubiskie.
He was referring to the building at the southwest corner of Third Avenue and Cedar Street South.
Mayor Steve Black had his own concerns when the proposal was brought to the council table, and empathized with businesses which may only have one employee working, and the relative distance from the storefront. He also said it is a 'very divisive' issue.
"I've had medical people contact me and say 'You know, I'm disappointed you took the stance you did at council' given the health implications of smoking and whatnot. And I said 'You know what? I find smoking disgusting, I do. As a non smoker, I do, I don't like the smell of it. I grew up in a house that was with smokers and I don't enjoy the smell anymore than you do, but as the Mayor of the city of Timmins, I represent the people of the city of Timmins, and that includes smokers and non-smokers," said Black.
He also mentioned a recent vacation in which he stopped in 5 other Ontario cities, and most of them had the 9 metre bylaw. However, they all had signs posted on nearly every building in the downtown areas.
"Whereas I don't even think we even have the 3 metre bylaw with businesses displaying it on windows on a consistent basis," said Black.
Before he left, Palubiskie asked if he could give some 'food for thought'. Black complied, and it began.
"When we were young, we didn't have all these smoking bylaws and everything else like that. But yet the leading cause of death was heart and strokes. Today, we have more regulations on smoking, but the number one is cancer. But what kind of cancers? Skin cancer, lymph cancer. All kinds of cancer, but the number one is cancer. Now, is it 100 percent sure that its smoking? And if it is, why wasn't it back then? You know, food for thought," said Palubiskie.
Councillor Andrew Marks later made the motion to defer the vote until 'sometime in August'.
"I think its prudent that the BIA revisit how its consulting, and who its consulting. There have been several email exchanges between board members. There's been a lot of discussion about owners versus businesses versus employees. This has perhaps opened up a little bit of a grey area in the BIA world. I would caution again to council that will affect people on Wilson who own private businesses. This will affect people in South Porcupine, and Porcupine, and in Schumacher. These are all public spaces. So the BIA certainly has its homework to do," said Marks.
He also mentioned a report from the Timmins Chamber of Commerce indicating strong support of the bylaw amendment.
"Which stated 65 percent of the people that they surveyed in their membership, which consists of over 800 members across the city of Timmins, supports this exchange," said Marks.
Council unanimously voted to defer. The matter will be back on the council agenda August 29.
