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Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, May 31, 2006 3 Local officials welcome Smoke Free Ontario Act LISA TALLYN Staff Writer Halton Hills residents won't notice any real change when the Smoke-Free Ontario Act comes into effect today (Wednesday) because the provincial legislation just catches up to the Town's tough anti-smoking bylaw introduced here in 2004. Like the Halton Hills bylaw, the provincial act prohibits smoking in all enclosed workplaces and public places. The one change between the provincial act and the Town's existing bylaw pertains to smoking on outdoor patios, said Halton Hills Councillor Moya Johnson. Johnson said under the Halton Hills bylaw people could still smoke on outdoor patios, but under the new Smoke Free Ontario Act, if there's a roof or any covering over a patio, smoking is now prohibited. Regardless of the minimal effect in town, the provincial legislation is being welcomed by local and regional government officials. "The Smoke Free Ontario Act provides some consistency across the province," said Tony Amalfa, manager of Healthy Environments with Halton Region. "Therefore it with it," said Johnson, a strong places including restaurants, bars, proponent of the Town's anti- schools, private clubs, sports aresmoking bylaw. "I think it's terrific nas, work vehicles, offices and and it does level the playing field." entertainment venues, including "We're very happy the Province casinos, bingo halls, bowling and has come on board," said Johnson. billiard establishments. Smoker Terry Lark said he · Eliminate designated smoking feels sorry for those in the enter- rooms in restaurants and bars, permit residential t a i n m e n t care facilities to industry who operate coninvested in des`I think it's trolled smoking ignated smokareas which are terrific and it ing rooms. specially "The amount does level the designed to of money they ensure nobody invested is a playing field.' outside the waste," said Lark. room is expoH e a l t h P r o m o t i o n --Councillor Moya Johnson sed to secondhand smoke. Minister Jim · Prohibit Watson said the smoking on patios that have food smoke-free legislation makes Ontario a leader in North America. and beverage service if they are either partially or completely cov"This legislation is both comered by a roof. prehensive and fair. It gives munic· Toughen the rules prohibiting ipalities and businesses what they tobacco sales to minors. were asking for with regard to · Prevent the promotion of tougher province-wide standards, tobacco products in entertainment and reflects the efforts of those venues and immediately restrict who have worked to create a the retail promotion of tobacco smoke-free Ontario," said Watson. products and impose a complete The Smoke Free Ontario Act ban on the display of tobacco will: products by May 31, 2008. · Ban smoking in enclosed pub(Lisa Tallyn can be reached at lic places and all enclosed workltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Local officials say the new Smoke Free Ontario Act only catches up to local anti-smoking legislation. Photo by Ted Brown adds protection from second-hand smoke to all residents." Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette welcomes the legislation. "It won't mean anything to Halton Hills because we have one of the strictest bylaws in the province," said Bonnette. "We put a level playing field within Halton Hills and now it's province-wide and I think it should be applauded." Many restaurant and bar owners were not happy when the Town's smoking bylaw came into place, but Bonnette said they should feel better now because the rules are the same right across the province. "At least this puts everybody in the same boat," said Bonnette. "We had lobbied for years for the province to come on board Mom wants to thank teen who `saved my daughter's life' Continued from pg. 1 "We want to make a plea to (the driver). We don't want this happening to anyone else. If (the driver) faces up to the consequences maybe he will learn from his actions after that," says Eagleson. Houle's supervisor at Tim Hortons, Janice Valaphen, was one of the first to arrive at the accident scene and witnessed the pain the young woman was in. She waited with her at the hospital until Eagleson arrived. "Whoever did this to this young lady, come forth if you have a heart and if you have a conscience, and if you are a father," pleaded Valaphen to the driver. Eagleson feels "it's completely unfair" this happened to her daughter who was just trying to get home from work. "And now she's stuck here in the hospital, and there's no insurance coverage and all the medical bills are coming in," says Eagleson, a single mother who works three jobs and was struggling to make ends meet before the accident. A bill for the ambulance has come in, the physiotherapy tab is already climbing towards $1,000, and she needs to buy or rent a walker before her daughter can come home. And then there's the fact that Houle won't be able to work for several months and they both badly need her pay cheque. Without an identified driver there is no access to insurance coverage for the medAfter being rushed to Georgetown ical costs, so Eagleson is applying to a Hospital Houle was transferred to motor accident vehicle claim fund hoping Sunnybrook Hospital. for some financial help. She spent a week there, much of the Houle doesn't remember much about time suffering with a blinding headache the accident. from the fractured skull, and pain from her She was riding other injuries. westbound on the She regrets she sidewalk when `I checked on the right wasn't wearing she checked to a helmet. make sure no one side of me and I saw a The pain in was coming, then flash. That's the last her head has crossed Normfinally subsided thing I remember. I just andy Blvd. somewhat, but "I checked on remember waking up Nancy still the right side of requires pain at Georgetown me and I saw a medication. flash," says Houle. She has been Hospital NANCY HOULE "That's the last undergoing thing I remember. physiotherapy I just remember waking up at Georgetown sessions since two days after the accident Hospital." and they will continue when she goes But Eagleson says her daughter was home. Her mom says it hasn't been determined lying on the road for some time before anyone noticed her, and cringes at the thought yet when her daughter will be released she could have been run over by another from the hospital. vehicle. "She can take small steps with the aid of She says fortunately a 17-year-old boy the walker. She can't walk on her own," heard Houle moaning at the side of the says her mom. road and ran to tell his mom, who called She says it will take five to six weeks for 911 on her cell phone. her daughter's hip to heal, and it's unlikely "He saved my daughter's life and I she will be able to work for at least four would very much like to speak to him to months. Halton Det. Const. Rich Solecki says hit tell him that," says Eagleson. and run accidents involving injured people are not common in Halton. "It's really rare for someone to leave a person lying on the road," says Solecki. He says the last similar hit and run accident he recalls in the past five years was a fatal on Tremaine Rd. in Milton. That driver turned himself in to police a week after the accident. Police are still investigating the accident that injured Houle and based on witness information are looking for a large burgundy or red pickup truck that was seen driving erratically in the area around the time Houle was hit. Solecki says the vehicle was possibly a Ford F-150 pickup truck with a two-door extended cab with small rear "wing" style rear doors, silver rocker panels and tinted windows. The truck could have damage to the front end likely near the lower portion of bumper and on the undercarriage. "Although we are interested in locating the pickup truck, we still are looking to the public to report any vehicles with fresh damage to the front bumper and/or grill area," says Solecki. Anyone with information is asked to call Solecki of the Regional Traffic Bureau at 905-878-5511 ext. 5108 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). (Lisa Tallyn can be reached at ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) .'