NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF GUELPH
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The City is looking for input on proposed smoking and alcohol regulations through two online surveys running from Sept. 30 to Oct. 13. Residents can take the survey at haveyoursay.guelph.ca.
Council gave staff the green light in December 2018 to engage with residents about smoking restrictions that go beyond those in the City’s existing Smoking Bylaw which was created to mirror the Smoke Free Ontario Act. This includes tobacco, cannabis and vaping products.
The City is exploring whether smoking should be restricted within:
- three metres of any entrance or exit of a public building
- City parks, trails and leash free areas
- three metres of transit stops
- the grounds of all municipal properties, including City Hall
- outdoor festivals, special events or parades
Recent provincial legislation also gives municipalities the ability to designate public places where residents can consume alcohol. The alcohol survey explores whether drinking alcohol in public, particularly parks, should be permitted by the City.
The proposed regulations are a result of months-long engagement with the City’s working group, which included City staff from Guelph Transit, Bylaw, and Courts, along with representatives from Guelph Wellington Dufferin Public Health, Upper Grand District School Board, Guelph Police Service, the University of Guelph and the Community Health Centre (CHC).
“The working group helped form some of the basic concepts related to smoking and alcohol; now it’s up to the community to provide their feedback,” says David Wiedrick, manager of Bylaw Compliance, Security and Licensing with the City of Guelph. “We will use the community’s feedback to provide recommendations to Council in early 2020.”
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