Waterloo Region's smoking bylaw no longer toughest in province

WATERLOO REGION -- Waterloo Region blazed a trail but has lost its standing as home to Ontario's toughest public smoking ban.

That honour now belongs to Ottawa, which has extended its no-nonsense smoking prohibition to include workplaces and legion halls.

"With the exception of outdoors, you pretty well can't smoke anywhere in Ottawa," said Stacy Landau of the Ontario Tobacco-free Network.

Provincial law permits designated smoking areas in some Waterloo Region workplaces where the public does not go. The region has not tightened that standard.

Waterloo Region Chairman Ken Seiling supports following Ottawa's lead to ban smoking in all workplaces. "I think we should be moving that way," he said.

But councillors are holding off to battle the last holdouts who continue to smoke illegally in bars -- and to take a breather after struggling to enact the smoking ban two years ago.

"When you've taken the lead and you get beat up as badly as we did in the first six months, you plan your battles," Seiling said.

The region is also reviewing the private-club exemption that permits smoking in Royal Canadian Legion branches.

Ottawa councillors resisted legion complaints last year in their tough smoking ban. Waterloo Region councillors did not.

"People just thought that was one battle too far," Seiling said.

A new survey by the tobacco-free network has confirmed that Waterloo Region blazed the trail when it banned smoking in bars, restaurants, bingos and bowling alleys.

It was the first such ban in Ontario and remains among the toughest. Anti-smoking advocates are thankful.

"Waterloo Region has done a phenomenal job," said Landau.

Ottawa has since gone farther, while Guelph has a similar ban. Three more communities -- Oakville, Orillia and Clearview, near Wasaga Beach -- are poised to enact sweeping smoking bans this year.

But a dozen other communities -- including Toronto, Peel and York regions -- have enacted softer restrictions that permit smoking under more circumstances.

Anti-smoking advocates say communities still look to Waterloo Region for guidance -- particularly to show how bars, restaurants and public events like Oktoberfest can survive a proposed smoking ban.

"People learn from our experience," said Susan Close, manager of Waterloo Region's cancer prevention program.