By Glenn Hicks

Smoke clears outside Art Hauser Centre, but what about other facilities?

Oct 25, 2018 | 1:21 PM

The non-smoking public will no longer have to run the gauntlet of cigarette smoke as they approach the entrance to the Art Hauser Centre following the formal adoption of the city’s new smoking bylaw.

The new laws, which in part are aimed at keeping cigarette smoke away from youth, bans lighting up within nine metres of outdoor spectator areas, playgrounds and other recreational areas.

However, the city took measures to accommodate smokers at the Art Hauser Centre, who were concerned the new bylaw would prevent them from heading just outside the doorways for a quick puff.

“We’ve built a smoking area on the northwest side of the building,” Mayor Greg Dionne told paNOW. “There’s a private door, there’s a guard there, it’s well fenced and well identified and so smokers can go there.”

Dionne said the space was used for the last few Raiders games and the hope was people would take advantage of it, so others including disabled people and kids would no longer be exposed to smoke as they tried to make their way into events at the city-owned facility.

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“People can enjoy their smoke out in the peace and quiet and no one’s going to bother them, and at the same time everyone who’s going into the Art Hauser Centre will have free smokeless access,” Dionne said.

At least one city councillor however figures the new bylaw amendments don’t go far enough in protecting youth from exposure to smoking and were a “lost opportunity.”

“We’re now spending taxpayers’ money to accommodate smokers at the Art Hauser Centre, and I understand that, but what about other civic facilities?” Ted Zurakowski told paNOW. “What about youth baseball and soccer games, what about the Steuart and Kinsmen Arenas?”

Zurakowski wanted the new bylaw to address the costs and options to ensure youth across all city facilities were not exposed to smoking.

“We have thousands of young kids going through our facilities all year round and we basically said ‘You know what, we’re going to deal with the Art Hauser and that’s it.’”

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow