Rondeau refuses to target smoking bans

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This article was published 29/01/2011 (5545 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Municipalities already have the power to ban smoking at outdoor athletic fields, Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau said Friday as he punted a political football back to the City of Winnipeg.

Rondeau said provincial law allows municipalities to extend a prohibition against smoking beyond indoor public areas, and he’d be happy to sit down with city politicians to show them how.

One Manitoba town has already instituted its own ban. The Town of Stonewall passed a bylaw, effective Jan. 1, barring people from puffing in playgrounds and around sports fields, recreation centres and civic buildings.

“It’s a no-brainer, isn’t it?” said Arlene Patterson, the town’s assistant chief administrative officer. “Who would want to be in a playground smoking (where) there’s little kids playing?”

Patterson said the town bylaw, which allows for fines of up to $250, was passed without controversy. No one has yet been ticketed.

Winnipeg, at the urging of a youth soccer association, has been considering a smoking ban at outdoor athletic fields for months. But in a report Thursday, city bureaucrats advised their political masters to urge the provincial government to consider instituting a ban instead. They said Winnipeg ceded responsibility for regulating smoking when the province passed its own law.

But Rondeau disagreed. He said the province has painted the broad brush strokes in the area of smoking regulation, leaving some of the finer points to municipalities and community organizations. Municipalities know best which facilities to target in extending a smoking ban, he said.

“I don’t want to be making a decision for Winnipeg and Brandon and Portage la Prairie and Cranberry Portage,” he said after addressing a conference on chronic disease prevention where he announced more funding for anti-smoking programs.

The Canadian Cancer Society expressed frustration Friday at the city’s stance on extending the smoking ban.

“We were disappointed to know that after over 245 days of delay at city hall that they suddenly decided to check with the province to see if this is something the province can do,” said Jonathan Hildebrand, a spokesman for the society.

“They can do it. All they’re missing is the willpower.”

Hildebrand noted that during last fall’s civic election, the Cancer Society received support for a municipal ban against smoking at sports fields, playgrounds and patios from three current executive policy committee members — Gord Steeves, Paula Havixbeck and Scott Fielding. On Friday, it got the support of a fourth EPC member, Coun. Dan Vandal, he said.

Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen said it’s up to the provincial government to show leadership on the issue. He said the province should ban smoking at outdoor sports fields following consultations with municipalities.

“My view is that the province has the lead responsibility on matters of public health,” McFadyen said.

Meanwhile, a pair of anti-smoking crusaders at West Kildonan Collegiate had a message for civic and provincial politicians arguing over who should be responsible for extending a smoking ban to sports fields — just get together and do it.

“I think they should both band together,” said Katie Fulmore of Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), after she and fellow Grade 12 student Sara Castellano addressed the same health conference attended by Rondeau.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca