'Let's do this': Langley mom takes condo smoking fight to legislature
Armed with a 17,000 signature petition, Naomi Baker is pushing the province to change default strata rule
A Langley mother has taken her 10-month-old daughter — and her fight against smoking in condos — all the way to Victoria.
Armed with 17,000 online and handwritten signatures showing support, she also has the backing of her MLA, Mary Polak, who presented the petition in the legislature Thursday.
Baker says her family has been dealing with secondhand smoke from a neighbouring suite ever since they moved in nearly three years ago.
They tried unsuccessfully to ban smoking at the strata level, so Baker started an online petition to prevent smoking in multi-family buildings altogether.
"Individuals should not have to be taking this fight on individually, unit-by-unit, building-by-building," said Baker.
That's why she wants to see action from the provincial government.
"I want to know what we're going to do about it," Baker told reporters. "To actually put the petition forward and say, 'let's do this,' and now I want to know how we're going to do it."
'I'm hopeful': MLA and mom meet with ministers
Polak, who also serves as Liberal house leader, says this is an issue that seems to have support from all three parties.
She believes there's a way to introduce changes at the provincial level, possibly by adjusting regulations under the Tobacco & Vapour Products Control Act.
"One of the starting points could be that you change the default," explained Polak.
"Why is it that in a strata development the default position is smoking and you have to get a two-thirds majority to make it non-smoking — in this day and age you'd think it would be the opposite."
Although Polak refers to a two-thirds (66 per cent) vote requirement, the provincial government website referencing strata bylaws and rules says a new bylaw, such as one that would ban smoking, would require a 3/4 (75 per cent) majority of owners in order to pass.
Housing Minister Selina Robinson and Health Minister Adrian Dix both agreed to meet with Baker and Polak on Thursday to discuss possible options.
"I think this is a very important issue," said Robinson, who said the province will consider whether legislative changes are necessary.
"We have an existing framework, and anytime you make any changes, it's always important to take a look at what those implications are."
The petition also has the support of Landlord BC, Clean Air Coalition of BC, and Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.