April 3, 2000

Mayor Michael D. Hurst
and Members of Windsor City Council
350 City Hall Square
Windsor, On  N9A 5S2

Dear Mayor Hurst and Members of City Council:

The Windsor & District Chamber of Commerce is a not for profit business association with a membership of over 1350 business members who collectively employ over 80,000 people in the Windsor/Essex county area.

As the “Voice of Business”, our mandate is to be the mechanism to promote and preserve the business and entrepreneurial environment essential to the development of a healthy economic community, which leads to a higher quality of life.

In this regard, the Chamber of Commerce endorses and supports the position of the Ontario Restaurant Association on the “No Smoking By-Law”

“… that hospitality establishment owners be permitted to choose whether their establishment should be designated as Smoking or Non-Smoking on the basis of what their consumers dictate since the current legislation is proving detrimental to the tourism business and further, alternative options be reached by the industry.”

The Chamber’s mandate of fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship and encouraging free enterprise reiterates the position that the smoking By-Law be repealed or in the alternative there be voluntary compliance with the No Smoking By-Law in order that businesses may operate in accordance with customer’s preferences.

Sincerely