Smoking ban proposal splits Yukon communities

The Association of Yukon Communities has passed a resolution throwing its support behind the Yukon government's proposed no-smoking legislation, but it didn't pass without considerable opposition.

At the association's annual general meeting Sunday in Dawson City, representatives from three communities voted against supporting the proposed smoke-free places act, which passed second reading among Yukon MLAs last week.

However, municipal representatives from the association's other five communities, including the city of Whitehorse, voted in favour of supporting the proposed legislation.

Among those who voted in opposition was Faro Mayor Michelle Vainio, who said residents in her community urged her to oppose the proposed smoking ban.

"Amazingly enough, it was mostly non-smokers that have been around the territory and Faro a long, long time that said, 'We don't want to have more legislation,'" Vainio said.

"The Yukon is the last jurisdiction right across Canada that doesn't have no smoking [legislation]. A lot of the communities say we're quite capable of sorting it out ourselves and so far it's working pretty good."

Mayo Mayor Scott Bolton and his councillors also voted against having the association support the ban. Bolton said his community already doesn't allow smoking in all public buildings, including the local restaurant, and residents don't want any more territorial rules to follow.

Watson Lake Mayor Nancy Moore said while the smoke-free places act appears to be a "done deal," she didn't feel comfortable "throwing my full support to AYC when I hadn't spoken to my council about it," she said.

The Yukon government has promised public consultations on the proposed smoke-free places act before making it law, but there has been no word yet on how or when such consultations will begin.