Niagara Region Enacts Outdoor Smoking Ban

The Niagara Region of Ontario, a regional municipal government that serves the communities of Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Pelham, Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet, Welland and West Lincoln has passed an outdoor smoking ban that carries with it a significant fine for violating the restrictions.

After first taking up and passing the issue in October 2013, on Thursday the proposal received the necessary triple majority to come into effect, with 11 of the 12 town and city councils supporting the bylaw.

According to NiagaraThisWeek.com, the ban prohibits people from smoking in a park or playground, including a nine meter perimeter around those areas, as well as at bus shelters throughout the region.

Smoking will still be allowed on highways, roads and sidewalks, though again smokers must maintain a nine meter distance from entrances to public buildings.

Those who violate the new law and are convicted will face a $250 penalty.

Passage of the ban means the region will incur approximately $90,000 in expenses: $30,000 going to the cost of new signage and the rest being dedicated to the education of residents and visitors.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.