Calgary's Smoking By-Law - Page 10 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Shazam · 07-26-2006, 11:40 AM

TREW!!!!!!! You need to run as an alderman!! You have more creativity than any of the brain-dead people serving right now!!! And I will make sure to vote you as mayor!!!! God, you even blindsided Bronconnier!!!!

Neeper · 07-26-2006, 12:16 PM

Wow, Trew. That is incredible. One person can make a difference afterall. I must say thank you! Run for alderman in my ward!

trew · 07-26-2006, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shazam

TREW!!!!!!! You need to run as an alderman!! You have more creativity than any of the brain-dead people serving right now!!! And I will make sure to vote you as mayor!!!! God, you even blindsided Bronconnier!!!!

Oh God no. The punishment should fit the crime.

My pennance is to now actually do my civic duty and vote for my representatives. I'm glad that my alderman seems to be one of the good ones (Farrell), but I had nothing to do with her election. We need to make sure that people like this stay in city hall, and that we find replacements for the ones that need to go. It blows my mind that our mayor was on the nay side of this issue.

trew · 07-26-2006, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trew

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...01346-sun.html

It is starting to sound like the restaurant and bar associations will try to find a legal loophole. I hope the language is sufficiently clear in the by-law to make this a fruitless effort. It would have to be very badly written for someone to construe that their entire premises is a ventilated smoking room.

I particularly like how the restaurant lobbiest in the article makes it sound like they would have been in favour of a ban and just wanted to help out with the language of the deal.

Puh-leeze. These are the same people who pushed for the smoking room concept in the first place, and their goal is to get bylaw support to indefinately extend the usage of seperate ventilated smoking rooms. (As per the restaurant assoc. website).

In absense of this achievement, their mandate has always been delay, delay, delay. They know once the ban is in place, the public won't allow smoking to return. The city was pushing for 2003 non-smoking everywhere. The associations got involved, kicked up such a fuss, that the city rolled over and conceded 2008.

I love how this guy argues on one had that places with ventilated rooms have an unfair advantage to the public, yet on the other hand, his association advocates the very same playing field be extended indefinately.

Links:

http://www.crfa.ca/aboutcrfa/boardofdirectors.asp (AL Browne, Board Member, CRFA)

http://www.crfa.ca/issues/bytopic/sm...egulations.asp (CRFA's position on Smoking)

Quote: CRFA's position on smoking regulations... Permit designated smoking rooms (DSRs) . The most effective way to safeguard air quality in hospitality establishments is to use designated smoking rooms that control exposure to second-hand smoke .

I like how they claim, "For the record - CRFA is not affiliated with tobacco growers, tobacco manufacturers or any pro-smoking group." Guess they must get accused of this often, huh?

The more I read about this issue, the more I wonder how much involvment "Big Tobacco" has. The loss of smoking will have a marginal impact on bar/lounge sales, but I get the feeling that the loss of revenue to tobacco would be much larger.

Just as a footnote to this post... I sent another email to the SUN (I seem to be doing a lot of this lately), asking the reporter to ask Mr. Browne to comment on the above if he ever is interviewed again.

The reporters reply? Not only is CFRA contradicting themselves, but Al Browne appearantly owns two establishments that have Designated Smoking Rooms in them. Sheesh... someone grab this puppet a pair of scissors before he strangles himself.

Neeper · 07-26-2006, 05:02 PM

Good thing I don't eat at any of those restaurants. They both lick ass. Hooters?? Give me a break. Even the girls are nasty, so is the food. Cheesecake Cafe? No thanks. $9.00 for a slice of Cheesecake? I think the food sucks too. I have ate at Hooters ONCE and Cheesecake TWICE.

habernac · 07-26-2006, 09:31 PM

you rock, Trew. I play league pool and usually want to burn my clothes when I'm finished. 3 of 5 on our team smoke so this won't be popular with them, but I don't care.

SaskaBushFire · 07-26-2006, 11:13 PM

That bylaw helped me quit smokeing here in Saskatchewan ... it is the greatest thing to happen since the Flames won the cup.

habernac · 07-31-2006, 03:53 PM

alderman Diane says thanks:

Hello everyone!

As most of you have heard, on July 24th, Council passed the Notice of Motion (with 10 votes) that 5 of my Council colleagues and I put forward to move up the date that Calgary becomes smoke free to January 1, 2007, together with an amendment that exempts those businesses who invested thousands of dollars to build separate ventillated smoking rooms prior to July 1, 2006. Of 3500 businesses who will be affected by the Smoking Bylaw, only 100 or so will be allowed to continue to provide a smoking environment for their patrons. This is an incredible victory for the citizens of Calgary!

Although my 5 colleagues and I would have much rather seen 100% compliance on January 1, 2007, one of the strongest arguments against moving the date up was that "a deal is a deal" and that small business invested money to comply with the bylaw in order to provide a smoking facility. It was never the intent of the Notice of Motion to punish these businesses, and I felt that a compromise would alleviate the concerns of those Members of Council who could not support an accelerated implementation date.

The Law Department is now in the process of writing the amendments into the Bylaw which will come before Council again this fall for 3 readings. I'm hopeful that we will receive the same support from Council at that time.

I have posted the Notice of Motion, the amendment, and the Minutes from Monday, July 24, 2006 Council meeting on my website for your information.... www.aldermandiane.ca; click on Priorities, then Smoking. This information is posted under "Reports and Minutes."

My sincere thanks to all of you who participated in my web poll, emailed me and called my office and for all your efforts in one of the best email campaigns ever directed to Council! Your support means a lot.

Sincerely,

Diane

Diane Colley-Urquhart
Alderman, Ward 13
Phone: 268-1624
Fax: 268-8091
Email: dcolley@calgary.ca

VISIT MY NEW WEBSITE AT www.aldermandiane.ca

Mccree · 10-16-2006, 11:10 PM

Sorry to bump an old thread but I am watching the news tonight to find out that they are still voting/discussing this?????

Smoking in bingo hall ok until 2008 is one change they are making. I bet they go back to original by-law.

jolinar of malkshor · 10-16-2006, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mccree

Sorry to bump an old thread but I am watching the news tonight to find out that they are still voting/discussing this?????

Smoking in bingo hall ok until 2008 is one change they are making. I bet they go back to original by-law.

They better not those cowards.

Bobblehead · 10-17-2006, 09:23 AM

The news last night mentioned that there had been some phrasing put in that allowed the exeption for establishments which had built a smoking room (which we knew about) but also had a phase of "or designated smoking area" which was new and would effectively gut the amendment.

Engine09 · 10-17-2006, 10:10 AM

Of for christ's sake. I volunteer for an organization that works bingos once in a while, being in one of those halls for 5 hours is disgusting.

Mccree · 10-17-2006, 10:49 AM

City Hall and the current bunch of aldermen are a bunch of chickens. If they gut this ammendment I will not be voting for any of them. I have sent an e-mail to both the mayor and my aldermen. I suggest you all do the same.

Bobblehead · 10-17-2006, 10:52 AM

I wonder how many bars are going to have a "Bingo Hour" to try and circumvent the bylaws (if it does indeed come to be passed)

JiriHrdina · 10-17-2006, 11:14 AM

Article from the Sun:
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...48663-sun.html

She said one of her allies, Ald. Bob Hawkesworth, won't be in attendance today and plans to move the bylaw to 2007 could be in jeopardy.
"I don't think we've got the votes," she said yesterday after city council decided to break for the night after failing to make a decision.
"Hopefully there's enough votes to go back to the original plan so at least we can get (the ban in place by) '08."
Hawkesworth said council voted 10-5 in July to fast-track the plan and he doesn't believe his absence will change council's will.

WTF? A critical vote and this clown can't be there for it?

Bobblehead · 10-17-2006, 11:16 AM

Why is this up for vote again anyways? I thought it was decided in July?

Crazy Flamer · 10-17-2006, 11:41 AM

I really don't see the big deal. In bingo halls, people will be allowed to smoke in a no service area. So no staff or volunteers will be going in there. If that's the case I have no problems with this. In fact, I think every establishment should ba allowed to make such an exemption.

Mccree · 10-17-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Why is this up for vote again anyways? I thought it was decided in July?

That is what I am wondering. Jack ass in city Hall I tell you. Last major city in Canada to have a smoking ban. IS IT REALLY that hard..

pepper24 · 10-17-2006, 12:41 PM

It's sad enough that we are the last major center in Canada to ban smoking. It's more sad that it could be delayed.

I haven't been to a bar since Stampede and still hope to hold out until Jan 1, 2007.

Neeper · 10-17-2006, 12:42 PM

Why the **** can't these people just get it? Smoking is disgusting. It kills. It affects people who are exposed to it. It could kill them and harm them. Ban it already! Everyone else has. Why are we the last ones to do it?