Local Tenants and Condo Residents Breathing Easier
Written by admin, February 5, 2014
February 5, 2014 –Auburn Village Gardens Becomes Peterborough’s First Completely Smoke-Free Condo Complex and Local Landlords to Champion No-Smoking Policies
Local residents are breathing easier thanks to exciting developments by two local housing organizations to create more smoke-free environments.
Firstly, Auburn Village Gardens, a 52-unit condominium complex in the City of Peterborough, just set a new milestone by voting to make its building and grounds 100% smoke-free. Working through legal channels, the condominium corporation enacted its new bylaw which was initiated due to complaints from residents about secondhand smoke.
“This is the first condominium in our area to go through the complete legal process and become smoke-free in its building and on its grounds,” said Ingrid Cathcart, Tobacco Officer with Peterborough Public Health. “It was almost unanimous, with the majority of owners fully supportive. To date there are only a few ‘official’ smoke-free condominiums that we are aware of in Canada.”
Effective January 2, 2014, the smoking ban prohibits tenants, guests and service people from smoking in any area of the property whether enclosed or outdoors. There will be a six-month grace period for those few condominiums where smokers reside.
Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health, commended the residents of Auburn Village Gardens for their leadership on this important step towards a smoke-free Peterborough. “Policies like this not only protect current and future residents but serve to denormalize smoking as an addiction society must stop enabling. I applaud the owners for setting this precedent for all housing complexes that smoke-free policies are possible and fully legal.”
Secondly, members of the Peterborough and District Landlords’ Association voted and passed a “Resolution” to address smoking and resolved to champion no-smoking policies in their buildings. These landlords acknowledged that secondhand smoke is a health hazard with known harmful effects that affect the well-being of all. In addition, smoke-free buildings have a completive advantage over buildings that permit smoking.
An Ipsos Reid Survey conducted in 2010 of Ontario residents living in multi-unit dwellings confirmed that:
- two in three report a preference for living in a smoke-free environment;
- two in three report strong support for more condos having smoke-free bylaws;
- nine in 10 do not allow smoking inside their homes;
- 50 percent report exposure to second-hand smoke; and
- 59 percent see second-hand smoke as a health hazard and 49 percent see it as a nuisance.
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For further information, please contact:
Ingrid Cathcart,
Tobacco Enforcement Officer,
Peterborough Public Health
(705) 743-1000, ext. 245
Bill Cuthill
Auburn Village Gardens
(705) 745-3386
Patricia Sweeting
Peterborough and District Landlords’ Association
(705) 745-4282 or (705) 760-6666