City unveils new smoking areas on Whyte, Jasper
Designated smoking areas complete with ashtrays set up on Whyte and Jasper
As cannabis legalization looms, city staff are setting up designated smoking areas along Edmonton’s two most popular streets.
On Monday, representatives from the city and other local agencies were at a newly minted smoking zone at the intersection of Whyte Avenue and Gateway Boulevard to answer questions about plans for enforcing bylaws and laws when cannabis becomes legal Wednesday.
SMOKING ZONES
Kevin Tomalty, co-ordinator of the community standards peace officers section, said Monday that the plan is to avoid being “heavyhanded” as both citizens and bylaw officers sort out the new rules.
He said officers will be trying to educate rather than ticket, encouraging smokers to move along to legal smoking areas. If a bylaw officer does decide to issue a ticket, the minimum fine will be $250.
New bylaws have aligned rules for vaping, smoking tobacco and cannabis — banning smoking within 10 metres of doors, windows, patios, bus stops and air intakes. Smoking also is restricted in parks.
On Whyte Avenue and Jasper Avenue, legal smoking zones will be marked by signs and populated with new ashtrays designed by University of Alberta students.
Don Belanger, the program manager for the Capital City Clean Up, said 132 new ashtrays will be installed in smoking areas along Whyte Avenue between 99 Street and 109 Street, and that 115 are being put up on Jasper Avenue.
The new design costs $260 each, and an additional $55 to install. Removing old ashtrays from areas where it is now illegal to smoke will come at a cost of $55 each.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS?
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) has issued 17 interim cannabis licences to operators across Alberta, including six Edmonton locations. But as of Monday, Edmonton city planner Calvin Chan said the city has issued only four business licences to three operators.
Nova Cannabis has two licenses: one at 9611 167 Ave., and a second at B8015 104 St. Alternative Greens at 12451 97 St. and Cannabis House at 6560 170 Ave. have also secured licenses.
Numo Cannabis at 11733 95 St. and Fire and Flower at 9610 165 Ave. both have interim approval from AGLC but weren’t licensed by the city by Monday morning.
Fire and Flower spokeswoman Jerrica Goodwin said the company ’s licence was approved on Monday afternoon, and expects to open as planned Wednesday.
FIRE HAZARD
Edmonton fire marshal Gary Mayorchak said the city’s fire service has taken a proactive approach to impending legalization, securing funding for three cannabis inspectors, promoting its Stub it Right education campaign, and by taking a research trip to Denver, Colo., to learn about that city ’s experience with cannabis legalization.
During the trip, Mayorchak said they learned about a potential fire hazard: home oil extraction — a process that requires organic solvents that are highly flammable and explosive. Mayorchak said people who want to use cannabis oil need to buy it, rather than attempting to make their own.
“We are completely discouraging that. In fact, it is illegal,” he said.