City council committee discusses modifying rules on shisha lounges
Edmonton is revisiting a ban on shisha lounges brought in last July that forced some businesses to close.
Councillors in the community and public services committee asked staff Wednesday to look into what bylaws would need to change for lounges to apply for a special business licence.
Coun. Aaron Paquette asked for the report. He said he's not a big fan of smoking because his mother was a lifelong smoker and died from lung cancer, but he wants to see what the options are.
“But it's not for me to judge.
What is for me to judge in this situation is do we have fair bylaws and are they workable,” he said. “Is it our job to stand in the way of that? Maybe on a moral level, I don't know. Is it our job to just not get in a way of legal business where people are making personal choices? That's another debate.”
Specifically, councillors asked staff what a licence could look like while ensuring smoking areas don't allow minors, prevent smoke from entering non-smoking areas, don't allow food or drink service, have mandatory signage, and work to eliminate second-hand smoke impacts to employees.
One XVII Lounge manager
Mahlet Belete told councillors shisha has a significant cultural role in many countries in Africa, the Middle East and in East Asia.
It's similar to how Western cultures socialize using alcohol, meeting for a nightcap or a cocktail, she said, and banning lounges won't stop people from using it.
“Since this ban has been affected, many people have begun hosting gatherings in their homes unfortunately with children and no proper ventilation instead of lounges, where only consenting adults who choose to consume will be exposed,” she said.
Mohamed El-turk, owner of Sultan's Palace and a member of
the Edmonton Hookah Cultural Committee, said he tried converting his business into a restaurant but wasn't successful and had to close.
Others have had to close their doors as well, he said.
“We're just looking for the light down the road to hope that there is going to be any hope for us to keep existing and not to lose our savings,” he said.
Coun. Scott Mckeen said he is interested in cultural accommodation and harm reduction but worried this could open a “bag of snakes,” referring to smoking being outlawed in restaurants and coffee shops.
Paquette said he got a lot of feedback from the community that shisha lounges are important to them and they are missed.
Committee members supported requesting a report and want to revisit the topic and hear from the public.
The Edmonton Hookah Cultural Committee asked council to revisit the ban earlier this month.