An unidentified man talks on his cell phone as he drives in Lawrenceville, N.J. in this June 24, 2004 file photo. (Daniel Hulshizer/Associated Press)
In Depth
Laws
New rules for April Fool's
It's no joke: tougher laws for public smoking, cellphone use
March 31, 2008
CBC News
It is no April Fool's joke. Starting April 1, 2008, several provinces are cracking down on things such as public smoking and cellphone use while driving. They're implementing new laws and fines up to nearly $400 in some cases.
But it's not all punishment. Several provinces are also working to help alleviate the pain of the start of what poet T.S. Eliot described as the "cruellest month" by boosting the minimum wage. (Campers in Saskatchewan get another bonus — they'll no longer have to shell out $3 a day for weenie roasts.)
Here are some of the changes coming into effect on March 31 and April 1:
- It becomes illegal to use a hand-held cellphone while driving in Nova Scotia and in Quebec. Cellphone use has been linked to numerous accidents, and a 2005 British Medical Journal study of Australian drivers found that those who used cellphones were four times more likely than those who weren't using phones to be involved in a serious crash — even if the phones were hands-free. The new bans do not apply to hands-free devices. Newfoundland and Labrador introduced a similar ban in 2003, with fines as high as $400 plus demerit points.
- In Quebec, police will hand out warnings instead of fines for the first three months. After that grace period, chatty drivers will be fined $100 for using hand-held phones. Between 2000 and 2006, there were at least 24 deaths in the province linked to cellphone-related crashes.
- In Nova Scotia, drivers will face a $164.50 fine for a first offence, $222 for a second violation and $337 for subsequent offences. Police say there will be no grace period.
- Starting April 1, Nova Scotians will be banned from smoking in vehicles when they're accompanied by people younger than 19. Anyone caught breaking the ban faces a fine of $394.50. Barry Barnet, the province's minister of health promotion and protection, said the new regulations were prompted by the health risks associated with second-hand smoke. N.S. is the first province to introduce such a law, and other provinces have indicated plans for a ban, including British Columbia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Ontario.
- British Columbia introduces new regulations restricting the promotion and sale of tobacco products and a ban on smoking in indoor public spaces and workplaces, effective March 31. The new regulations outlaw smoking rooms, ban smoking in all indoor public spaces and workplaces, and near workplace doorways, open windows and bus shelters. Additionally, the new rules prohibit tobacco sales in public buildings, such as hospitals, universities, provincial government buildings and recreational facilities, and the display and promotion of tobacco products in all places where tobacco is sold that are accessible to youth under 19. The City of Vancouver is also banning smoking on outdoor patios and within six metres of building entryways. Saskatchewan eliminates the "wiener roast tax," or campfire permit fees, on April 1. The $3 per day fee to purchase firewood in the province's parks was implemented in 2004, and cost park users roughly a combined total of $375,000 annually.
- Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Newfoundland and Labrador are boosting the minimum wage:
- Ontario's minimum wage rises by 75 cents to $8.75 an hour on March 31. The current government plan calls for minimum wage to rise to $9.50 in 2009 and $10.25 in 2010.
- For Manitobans, the minimum hourly wage jumps by 50 cents to $8.50 on April 1.
- The boost in Newfoundland and Labrador is also 50 cents, to $8 per hour as of April 1, part of a government plan to reach $10 per hour by 2010.
- In Alberta, the minimum wage is being hiked by 40 cents to $8.40 on April 1, part of a government plan to automatically adjust minimum wage every April, based on Statistics Canada's average weekly wage index.
- Haligonians who own cats will need to license their pets as of April 1, paying $10 to $30, depending on whether the animal is fixed. The fees are the same as for dogs. The new bylaw also gives animal control officers the power to trap and euthanize cats in some cases.
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