"The City's answer is: tough. We knew that would be a possibility, we considered input from bar, casino and bingo hall owners and made this decision notwithstanding the potential for loss of business on your behalf. This is a bylaw made for the public good and in that regard, your private business interests and fear of speculative losses does not outweigh the public good and the City's purview to legislate in such areas."
That is what the city response should be. If this council had enough of a backbone they would have legislated everything to be non-smoking a few years ago, then we wouldn't even be in this argument today!
On a sort of related note, I had the pleasure of being in Montreal a little while ago. You came home after a night out and didn't reek of smoke...and strangely didn't feel sick either. Strange that the main difference is the non-smoking there!!
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